Do you ever give yourself a reward or treat when you meet a major writing goal? Describe.
5 thoughts on “Reader Friday: How Do You Reward Yourself?”
I give myself 5 bonus points in a game I call “Project Crush.” In other words, I turned my project management and all to-do lists (be it for work or personal) into games. And I collect points there for all projects and activities I take into that game round (that is a calendar month). For each delivery, I get 5 bonus points. If I managed to do at least something in all of the projects I took into that game round, then I get 10 points for each of these sets of points.
If I “reward” myself with a cup of coffee and espresso or buy myself something, then it is not a reward in my game, it is a part of the game, an area of activities in my project game, that I call “Wellness, Movement, and Health.” And after letting myself getting those (coffee, chocolate, reading, chilling out, working out), I get points too. π
This applies to any creative endeavor, not just writing. For me, the biggest hurdle, whether writing, drawing, etc, is criticizing my own work too harshly, which makes it hard to come to the page/computer/sketchbook. So if I meet a milestone, I give myself a treat related to that pursuit.
Last night in fact, I just bought myself a new sketchbook because I have drawn consistently every day this month. If it were writing, I’d buy myself a book I’d been wanting, that sort of thing. Oh, and have some chocolate. π
After Mrs. B reads and critiques my MS (she’s the first to see it), it’s a nice dinner out at one of our favorite places, like Duke’s in Malibu.
A bottle of Veuve Clicquot after I type THE END.
When I finish writing a novel, I’m usually a little sad it’s over. Difficult to celebrate that. I run a spell check, then send it off to my copyeditor, all sort of morosely.
I usually take a full day off, during which I take care of bland but necessary, everyday stuff that’s built up (lawn mowing, etc.).
Then (usually the next day) I reward myself by writing the opening for a new novel. I guess the “reward” is the sense of almost childlike excitement that soon I’ll be running through a new storyline with a new set of friends.
I give myself 5 bonus points in a game I call “Project Crush.” In other words, I turned my project management and all to-do lists (be it for work or personal) into games. And I collect points there for all projects and activities I take into that game round (that is a calendar month). For each delivery, I get 5 bonus points. If I managed to do at least something in all of the projects I took into that game round, then I get 10 points for each of these sets of points.
If I “reward” myself with a cup of coffee and espresso or buy myself something, then it is not a reward in my game, it is a part of the game, an area of activities in my project game, that I call “Wellness, Movement, and Health.” And after letting myself getting those (coffee, chocolate, reading, chilling out, working out), I get points too. π
This applies to any creative endeavor, not just writing. For me, the biggest hurdle, whether writing, drawing, etc, is criticizing my own work too harshly, which makes it hard to come to the page/computer/sketchbook. So if I meet a milestone, I give myself a treat related to that pursuit.
Last night in fact, I just bought myself a new sketchbook because I have drawn consistently every day this month. If it were writing, I’d buy myself a book I’d been wanting, that sort of thing. Oh, and have some chocolate. π
After Mrs. B reads and critiques my MS (she’s the first to see it), it’s a nice dinner out at one of our favorite places, like Duke’s in Malibu.
A bottle of Veuve Clicquot after I type THE END.
When I finish writing a novel, I’m usually a little sad it’s over. Difficult to celebrate that. I run a spell check, then send it off to my copyeditor, all sort of morosely.
I usually take a full day off, during which I take care of bland but necessary, everyday stuff that’s built up (lawn mowing, etc.).
Then (usually the next day) I reward myself by writing the opening for a new novel. I guess the “reward” is the sense of almost childlike excitement that soon I’ll be running through a new storyline with a new set of friends.
I’m a very fortunate guy.