Today You Will Start The Week Well.

Last week I finished the first draft of my current work-in-progress, THE HERO NEXT DOOR. Why is this significant? Because I had very little time to write each night, as a result of the new job and the baby and all that stuff. In fact in my entire life I have never had this many demands on my time and my focus.

I have beaten my chest in the past over my ability to finish manuscripts but this is different. I come to encourage, not to boast. I was worried about my productivity taking a massive dive once fatherhood entered the equation, so accomplishing this much feels really good, and you need to feel it too.

As the member of this writing group with the least amount of kids, and least amount of marriage under my belt, I'm hesitant to crack a whip on anyone to write more than they are--and that goes for you too, dear reader. The longer life goes on, the more complex it becomes, and the more our focused is divided between various things that it seems we have to do. Nobody is blaming you for that.

And yet, I am here to encourage you to believe that you can and will do more. It's like James A. Owen says, what we really want to do with our time is reflected in how we actually spend our time. (That's coming from a dude who climbed all the way to where he is with a broken hand and every medical card in the deck stacked against him.) If he could do it, you have to believe that you can too.

Set a definite, concrete goal for writing this week. And not just for writing, but for taking control of your schedule. Set a goal for how much time you are going to cut out of the other activities that occupy your attention, and don't let anything interfere with that time. Get your spouse on board, shut your phone off, disconnect the Wi-Fi, and get to work.

Because you can do it. And you will.