When you write, you set goals for yourself. This many pages a day. Whole thing done by the end of the month.  Those self-imposed finish lines can be really effective motivators.

And while it’s great to meet those goals, a little part of you relishes when you do more. “I usually do 3 pages a day, but today I did 5!” It’s a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.

Despite some recent delays, I finally got back to work on my DREAMSHIP rewrite. I was at page 97.  All I wanted out of today was to get to 100.

And I did. It felt great.

I thought I was done for the day, but the opportunity to keep going presented itself in the evening and I jumped at the chance. I got to 101, just as a big action scene is starting.

4 pages. 1 more than my daily objective. I gladly accept that.

Pushing yourself just a little bit more pays off in that not only do you get that much closer to having a finished product, but do it often enough and before you know it, being more productive becomes easier.

Then you push yourself some more.