Shannon Stacey


Rocking productivity like a kindergartener

Now that the boys are back in school, I’m trying very hard to get back into a daily work routine that leads to finished books. Publishers are rather fond of finished books. And thanks to a comment Mardi Ballou made to me on Twitter a while back, I’ve gone back to the basics when it comes to productivity. Very basic. Like kindergarten basic.

When I meet my minimum word count for the day, I get a shiny star.

I’ve kept an Excel spreadsheet for eons that tracks my daily word count, including how many words I have to write per day to finish a book on a certain date. All very grown up and professional, those Excel spreadsheets. So why am I regressing to elementary school?

In part because my family can see if I’ve made my word count every day. See yesterday’s sticker? So did they. So it’s a little more accountability and a little more nagging. Also a little more cheering, which we can always use.

But mostly because, hey, shiny stickers!

6 comments to “Rocking productivity like a kindergartener”

  1. Lacey
    Comment
    1
      · September 13th, 2011 at 1:11 pm · Link

    I LOVE the shiny star idea!

    I’m trying to get back to a feasible schedule now that 2/3 kids are off to school each day… it’s not always easy but somehow we get through and maybe if I earned a shiny star I’d be more focused too :-)



  2. Nadia Nautalia
    Comment
    2
      · September 13th, 2011 at 1:27 pm · Link

    I LOVE this idea! I am very visual and the idea of having something visual up where I can see it — and where HUBBY can see it and nag or praise as the case warrants makes a lot of sense to me. I shall create a writing calendar for the fridge this afternoon. :-) Great idea!

    Nadia
    Author of The Cowboys That Spank Series Coming Soon From Black Velvet Seductions



  3. Kaylea Cross
    Comment
    3
      · September 13th, 2011 at 1:36 pm · Link

    Hey, what a great idea! My little one just started Kindergarten so I’ve finally got all kinds of time to hit the keyboard. A gold star if I hit my word count will prove to my whole family that I don’t just sit home eating bonbons and watching daytime TV now that both the kids are in school.

    Thanks for the idea ;)

    (Oh, and best of luck getting a star every day. Though I’m sure you don’t need luck!)



  4. Corinne Bridges
    Comment
    4
      · September 13th, 2011 at 2:38 pm · Link

    When potty training my boys we used those long strings of lollipops. It sounds bad now, in hindsight, but it worked!! Now maybe Maybe I could come up with something really good so my husband can give me when I AM good or do something good!! ;) I can remember getting stars in school for spelling & attendance and in Sunday School ( I think for memory verses)



  5. Carin
    Comment
    5
      · September 13th, 2011 at 5:48 pm · Link

    I’m a total sucker for sticker type rewards. I read ebooks on my iPad. I tried out the Kobo ereader app, which has some big positives and negatives. One of the things I liked best was the silly rewards/badges/sticker things they give out. Read at midnight for 3 nights in a row and get the “Good in Bed” badge. You’d think I’d be over earning pointless rewards, but no. It still works for me!



  6. Shannon
    Comment
    6
      · September 14th, 2011 at 10:01 am · Link

    Ironically, I didn’t get a shiny star sticker yesterday. And that makes me sad!

    Today…sticker!







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