Well, this week’s been a weird one. That’s all I have to say about that. As of the time of writing, it’s mid-afternoon on a Saturday, and I’m watching the new series of Dragons Den on iPlayer.
Which is probably why this post is going to be shorter. I’m still hopefully going to answer the question, but if you were looking for a longer read, then make sure you check back next week.
Anyways, onto the topic for this post.
“What’s my minimum?”
The only way for me to answer this is to split out the answer into two areas: personal and business.
The personal minimum
The personal minimum (for an entire week) is going to work during the allotted hours, cooking for at least four nights, and have at least three nights where I regenerate the creative well.
That’s it, that’s all there is to it. That’s my personal minimum.
The work and the cooking should go without saying, I must do those things to survive and keep the bills paid. Y’know, because of adulting.
However, we’re ignoring those.
What we’re going to focus on instead is the regeneration. I touched on this in episode two of this blog series (the link can be found here). Books, videos, fiction and non-fiction, music, everything. It all goes in, and it all helps generate that energy I need to create.
To keep me as a happy, sane, and mostly pleasant human being, I must have those three nights to refill and regenerate.
I could do more, and often I do. We go for walks; I work later, play new games, have a bath, watch Netflix, all the things. My colleague describes me as having “nervous energy”. I’ll take it. It’s fine. I like to be busy.
But I must accept that my personal minimum is having those three nights. Regeneration helps fuel creation.
The business minimum
I must create. Every day. Without fail.
Cop out, right? Hopefully not. But that’s the truth. My business minimum is that I have to create something every day. That could be a newsletter, a blog post, a short story, or a blurb for an upcoming release.
The caveat is that this creation must be something I enjoy. It doesn’t have to be business-focussed. It would be nice if it was, but it doesn’t have to be.
Let me explain.
I’m a big list lover. Give me a bullet journal, a napkin or some kind of weird tree bark, and I will, guaranteed, give you a list.
Complete with tick boxes.
But that will often result in mental overwhelm.
I’ll throw everything onto the list, mixing things like “wash clothes” with “update onboarding sequence for reader magnet”, which obviously (don’t) go hand in hand with “character interviews for readers” and “take rubbish out”.
So, when it comes to creation, if the thing I’ve made is something I’m proud of, and it’s something I can include in my metaphorical portfolio of work, then I’m good. I’m beyond good. I’m bloody pleased with myself. I’ve achieved.
I’ve created.
In summary
Creation and regeneration. That’s all I have on that. It’s been a long week, but it’s nearly over.
So, if you have a chance, let me know how you’d answer this question. Tell me what you think your minimum would be, either at work or in your personal life.
What’s that one thing that you have to do, as a minimum, to get through the day?
I’d love to hear from you, either in the comments or by signing up to my free author newsletter.
Speak to you soon!
Robyn
