Tan Lines and Deadlines
Summertime and feeling is easy, am I right? If only it were so easy to kick back, relax, and not worry about a thing. Unfortunately, that is not a luxury most authors have.
The summer season promises endless fun and lots of sun, yes. But not if you have priorities and deadlines you are pushing to the back burner to deal with later in lieu of soaking up some sun.
Of course, self-care and taking time for yourself is absolutely crucial. You can’t finish that next book if you are too stressed. But making sure that you have your time scheduled properly will save you so much hassle down the road.
If you are struggling to fight the allure of summer, sit down with a coach or your publisher and figure out what you need to do by when. I find setting a deadline for a week before the actual deadline is incredibly helpful. It gives you a little breathing room in case things aren’t going quite right and time to fix them.
Internal deadlines set before the hard deadlines can be a great way to get you to focus and move forward. If you’re someone who works best under pressure, set those internal deadlines even sooner and make your brain believe they are the real deadlines. If you work best with a schedule broken up over several weeks, give yourself plenty of time to work through any hiccups or delays so that you are completely prepared when it is actually time to submit.
Don’t forget to work on your website, newsletter, and social media accounts as well. I know, I know, so much work! But if you break things down into easy, bite-sized pieces, all of a sudden you will get things taken care of and be caught up, just in time to work on that tan. (Don’t forget sunscreen though!)
