Last week I took myself out for coffee and wrote up this whole elaborate schedule for finishing this draft of my novel (Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior). 

This made me feel virtuous and disciplined.

It made me feel disciplined until it came time to actually finish chapter eleven by my appointed deadline–which happened to be last night.

After a wee bit of a Happy Hour and a dinner of grilled bratwurst fresh from the Farmer’s Market, I was feeling just the tiniest bit unmotivated (read: tired from the wine).

But every Sunday night I get an email in my inbox from Kevin Hogan.  I hate to admit this, but I’m not really sure exactly who he is–some kind of marketing and motivational expert.  I will say that Sunday night is a good night to send out promotional material because nothing else ever comes in and so out of sheer desperation I generally read much of what Kev writes.

This is saying a lot because sometimes Kev irritates me.  I don’t always agree with his pronouncements and he says them in a very authoritative way which always makes me feel rebellious (sorry, Kevin, its really nothing personal, its just my nature).

But last night, as I was dithering about how I hadn’t finished my chapter and was thus in line to screw up my careful schedule before I’d even really gotten started, in came Kevin’s Sunday night email.  And, lo and behold, his first article was about willpower. 

Kevin talks about how developing willpower is what makes the difference between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t.  Its really a pretty good article.

Here’s Kevin’s takeaway quote on willpower:

"You CAN exercise willpower the same way you exercise your body (a little bit at a time gradually increasing intensity of your workout).

The important thing is to do it every day until you form a new habit. Habits don’t require self-control energy. Once exercise becomes part of your routine you can operate on autopilot. Funny thing is that soon you won’t need any self-control to exercise your willpower. "

I wrote the chapter.  And today I started on the next.  Thanks, Kevin.