Archives

Measuring Progress

I was thinking about the way business partners schedule monthly meetings to check up on goals and progress, and I felt a twinge of envy, wondering if I’d be more accountable to myself if I had such a meeting. A business meeting. It isn’t practical for me at all, but I realized I do want a clearer way to see my progress.

So I started a progress bar on my website, over in the right column. It doesn’t really capture total progress because it only records progress through my latest draft and I have no idea how many more drafts I’ll write, but it still gives me a sense of productivity when I see the line moving from 22%, where I started it, towards 100%. Since August, I’ve planned to finish this draft in December or January. It’s a long-term, realistic goal, and I’m on target.

What matters more is that I’m finding a way to write every day, regardless of weekends and family time. Some days I only grab an hour, but that’s enough to keep ideas in an active mode, and that helps me move forward when I do have a regular full day of writing.

Whether you keep track of your page count, your word count, or your hours working, you might find it helpful to note your progress. When milestones come so rarely, it’s important to honor the regular work we do as artists.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Caragh's Latest Favorite Reads

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Every Day
The Dog Stars
The Reinvention of Edison Thomas
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
The Fault in Our Stars
Two of a Kind
Until It Hurts to Stop


Caragh's books »
Book Trailer for Promised