I get overwhelmed in building my independent publishing business. There’s lots to do! Write, edit, publish, market; wash, rinse, repeat. The never in the cycle of repeatable tasks that must be done. The planner I use helps me figure out what I should do, but it still gets overwhelming.
That’s why sometimes I have to go with instinct in what I want to do. If I don’t feel like doing one task (like marketing), I will do something else if that’s what my instinct is telling me to do (say, editing a manuscript). Granted, there are times when a task must be done, such as writing when I don’t feel like it. Foe the most part, I have to lean into what my guts tell me.
Sometimes it’s hard for me to examine my intuition because there are so many thoughts running through my head; I have to sort through them to figure out what to do. Sources vary on how many thoughts go through the human mind daily, ranging from about 80,000 per day to more recent research indicating we only have about 6,200.
Another aspect about this topic of deciding what to do as an indie author: It’s not just about instincts, it’s also about pacing myself. Sometimes I dive into a task and go full speed ahead with it. But mostly, I’m someone who likes to pace herself. Some people might think I should push myself more and rush myself. I prefer to take my time because I’m meticulous with the details, but this could be coming from my perfectionism.
I made a goal to complete at least 30 minutes of a particular task per day: marketing, writing, editing, brainstorming, researching, or reading. That means I would have to devote at the minimum three hours daily to Heathermoors Books. Considering my schedule that’s ambitious but that was what I set out to do. I think On weekdays, I should do 15 minutes on each task, and then 30 minutes on weekends. Fulfilling that ambition and keeping up with my goals is another story🤪
In line with the theme of this post, I’ll end it with a fave scripture of mine, which I meditated on earlier this week: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV
Teresa Edmond-Sargeant is an award-winning journalist and author. She released her first collection of short stories “Inner Demons” in October 2020. She is the author of the short story ebooks “Eve the First,”“For My Sister,” and “Sammy’s Butterflies” “A Symphony of Silence” is her second poetry collection. Her latest short story “Healing” is published on Short Fiction Break.