In Between Time
This created a good amount of energy in me. Although I had another project that I really wanted to get started on, I decided to use the majority of the week to read and consume rather than create new content. I am so glad I did.
By the time that Friday came around, my sacred day of writing, research, and thinking, I had so many ideas brewing in my head that I could immediately get started on the writing. I had been jotting down notes to myself during the week and made sure to identify several different components that I knew needed to go into certain sections of my writing. I think that because I did this, I was able to delve straight in and write 1,700 words of my conference paper in one go.
By taking some time away from typing up my thoughts, two things worked especially well for me this week:
1. I took the time to pause and collect my thoughts. Although it may seen counterintuitive to take time away from writing, I actually was still writing, just not typing up my thoughts. I am beginning to know when I need to do this for myself and almost always, the writing process afterward is much smoother because I do.
2. I made small notes for myself throughout the week, writing them down purposefully and with clarity so that when the time did come to write out the presentation, I knew where my thoughts were going to connect. I am still getting better at this part and would like to continue honing in on how I record these thoughts so that when it comes time to sit down with my cup of coffee, they are comprehensible to me.
I am beginning to learn that it is a balance of when and how that needs to be mastered and that these change from week to week for me. But taking time away to compound thoughts and ideas seems to be a good method to keep in ind for the future.