Play That Funky Music ...

April was funky, and I'm not talking Bootsy Collins. I got very little writing done. In ... A ... Funk.

There are, as always, reasons and excuses: soccer practice and games for my daughter, a list of yard and household projects as long as my arm, the boys of summer. Not enough hours in the day to do everything.

Change is needed.

My first inclination is to go extreme, setting unrealistic goals, word counts, or sleep-depriving number of hours to work. These tend to fail because the bar is set too high from the word go, and there is no penalty for failure besides my own guilt.

Here's a different idea to help get back on track. For the rest of May I will give up eight things that take time away from writing. Instead of all or nothing, the items will be declared twice a week. Time, focus, and commitment will accrue gradually as each sacrifice becomes a habit.

The carrot is achieving my writing goals. And the stick? Let the punishment fit the crime. I may need suggestions on some items if I backslide.

#1 - For the rest of May, I will not watch, listen to, or check the progress online of any Red Sox games.

For those that know me, this is a really big deal. And the stick? For each transgression, I will say something nice about, ahem, that other team. Again, this may seem frivolous, but that is some serious motivation.