writing productivity Archives - Addicted to Writing

First things first: What’s an accountability partner?

Chances are you know exactly what this term means, but let’s define it anyway.

An accountability partner is someone who holds you accountable for reaching your goals.

Do you want to publish 2 novels this year? Do you intend to write 1000 words every day? Do you need to send 50 pitches every day? Or maybe, you have a problem with marketing, and your need someone to help you on the right track.

Whatever you need to accomplish in your writing (or non-writing life), an accountability partner might help you reach those goals.

Why did I say might?

Because not everyone needs an accountability partner. And not everyone will benefit from an accountability partner.

Could you benefit from an accountability partner?

To determine this, you need to examine your personality type when it comes to habits. And as it’s my favorite book on habits, I’ll refer to Gretchen Rubin’s book Better Than Before (aff.link) again.

Maybe my favorite book ever on habits, Rubin’s book takes personality into account.

In the book, Gretchen talks about four types of personality: Upholder, Obliger, Questioner, and Rebel.

Upholders tend to meet both inner and outer expectations while obligers are more likely to meet outer expectations. Questioners will question whether something is necessary and useful, while Rebels will resist both inner and outer expectations.

How do you know which group you belong to? It’s easy. Do you set goals for yourself and then stick to them without much friction and don’t need an outside party to check on you? You’re an Upholder. An accountability partner might work for you, but there is a chance you won’t need one.

If you are someone who only meets let’s say fitness goals under the watchful eye of a trainer or the insistence of a friend, then you are an Obliger, and you’ll most definitely benefit from an accountability partner.

Questioners will need to be persuaded about the need for an accountability partner, so if you are constantly questioning things, you might do better with a trial run. See if this works for you.

Rebels…well, rebels will fight you and themselves on all expectations, so an accountability partner might not work.

I’m a Rebel/Questioner. Most people fall into more than one category, and your type can change depending on the subject matter at hand.

Do I have an accountability partner? Well, yes and no. I have close writer friends and we constantly check up on each other. It’s not however about keeping each other accountable, but rather feeling motivated, inspired, seen, and understood.

One of my closest writer friends is Olga Mecking, the author of Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing (aff.link). Olga is a successful freelance writer, journalist, author, and novelist. She is also married with three kids, lives in the Netherlands as an expat, and has several health issues.

So we celebrate each other on successes and productive days, while also helping one another embrace the not-so-productive ones.

Some days are just 0-word days and it is okay. Some days are 500- word days and a few are 5,000. Having someone always asking me about daily word counts would just give me anxiety, and that just doesn’t work.

For more and better information on these personality types and how to form and keep the habits you want, I strongly recommend you read Rubin’s Better Than Before. She also wrote a whole book on these personality types alone: The Four Tendencies.

Do you have what it takes to be an accountability partner?

I honestly believe anyone can be an accountability partner, as long as you are both clear on what to expect from each other, and how to deliver it.

But I suspect a Rebel and an Upholder would probably not be a match made in heaven, though you’d have to test this yourself.

The takeaway

– Not everyone needs an accountability partner.

– You can and should define the relationship with your accountability partner, should you decide to have fun.

– Having writer friends you talk to regularly about anything and everything can work much better for you than simply having someone checking up on your goals.

What about you? Do you have an accountability partner? What strategies and tips do you have for accomplishing your goals?

Özsüt, Akasya — The café this post was written at. Özsüt, in Akasya shopping mall, Istanbul.

Sitcoms of the 80s and 90s depicted shopping malls as teenagers’ haven. No reason it can’t be one of your offices.

Look, I know a shopping mall isn’t the epitome of health. Yes, a walk in the woods or going to a coffee shop with a sea view is better. But sometimes you need the change, size and the warmth.

If you are already healthy and can stand the harsh winter weather, please, by all means, walk outside every day. As much as you can. Even if it is just to and back from your favorite coffee shop.

But:

What if you sweat so much that by the time you get to the coffee house, even if it is just 15 minutes from your house, you look like you fell into a lake? Including and especially your hair? There is no possible way you can conveniently carry extra clothes, underwear, and hair-dryer along with your laptop and other freelancing essentials. Not unless you have the shoulder strength of a veteran backpacker. I don’t. And oh, one change of clothes doesn’t take my sweat away.

You might think the sweating is because I’m fat, but I’m not. While unfortunately I have extra weight I’m trying to lose, calling me fat would be scientifically incorrect. Picture below for scale.

Birthday Mohito, Hard Rock Café, Istanbul — Me, December 2016. Birthday Mojito.

Okay. So you, for one reason or another, you can’t walk to favorite coffee shop every day. You don’t live in a mansion, and you don’t have a treadmill desk (aff. link). You don’t have a gym membership. How are you going to get your exercise?

That’s where shopping malls come in.

I live in a city where malls are ubiquitous. They come with a selection of restaurants, coffee shops and all kinds of stores. And with so many malls to choose from, there are ones that aren’t too crowded and too expensive.

Here’s how to make the most of that mall:

Set your timer. We all stay focused for different lengths. If the Pomodoro technique of working for 25-minute periods with 5 minute breaks (and then a 20-25 minute break at the end of 4-5 periods) gets your productivity going, great. If not, find out your sweet spot. But for the love of gods of productivity and sanity, don’t stay glued to your computer for hours on end.

Yes, I’m guilty of this. I suppose most writers are. It comes back to bite me in the form of extra pounds and nerve entrapment. So I’m writing this to remind you and myself.

It’s perfectly fine not to distract yourself in the middle of a productivity burst. But we all know they don’t always happen. So take regular breaks.

What has got this to do with the mall, you ask?

Take a short walk during your break. I don’t know how shopping malls work in your country, but in mine, most shopping mall cafés don’t have bathrooms of their own. So you have to take like at least 500 steps just for a bathroom break. 2 bathroom breaks, you already got your first 1000.

Now, obviously it is better if you walk continuously at a certain speed. But 500 every time you need to pee, and if you have a regular-sized bladder and keep yourself hydrated enough, it is still a lot more than the bathroom-going exercise in your house.

Take a longer walk during your longer break. Explore the stores. The bigger the mall, the better. If you actually try stuff on, the more calories gone. Sure, it is not sports. But it is better than staring at your TV or just doing the dishes. And never underestimate how many calories can be spent during shopping. One summer, my main method of exercise was shopping, and I lost like 18 pounds (about 8kgs.) Of course, I live in Istanbul, a shopping heaven. Never underestimate the power of your legs.

What about my stuff?

Unless I personally know the staff, I just take all valuable items with me: desktop, money, phone. I have MacBook Air (aff.link), so leaving everything else still makes me light as rain. No one steals your coat. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to tell the staff you are coming back.

But no one thinks you are a runner when you leave behind a table full of stuff. It might not fly everywhere, but it has worked for me so far. And there are almost always other friendly people who will watch your stuff. No one minds having the responsibility of watching your coat and some stationery.

Alternatively, you can use a co-working space; some malls have them. Or you can rent lockers at a little cost.

Go outside, even if it is just the parking lot. You obviously need natural light and fresh air. So go get it. You are already dressed; you won’t get lazy.

Walk back home. Or take a longer method of transportation. As long as it is safe and doable, try walking back.

Take the escalators, and walk on them. (Unless you have a problem with your knees and the doctors told you to avoid them.)

Always take the longer route. Go to the further escalator, further bathroom. Stride along the largest stores.

Choose a café or restaurant with healthy options. I get that eating healthily generally costs a lot more. But unless it is Burger King, there is something healthy (or healthy-ish), affordable, tasty and fulfilling on the menu. Order that.

A couple of customized tips for those with a sensitive stomach:

I have gastritis, so I feel your pain. I have to take medication every day and limit my consumption of coffee to two mugs. Eating outside is always risky. What you can do to reduce the risk of food poisoning, indigestion and nausea:

– Order plain Greek yoghurt alongside whatever you are having. If you are in Turkey or at a Turkish restaurant, order Ayran (a traditional soft drink made with yoghurt, salt and water.) It greatly reduces the risk of nausea and or food poisoning. It is also great for your immune system.

– Ask for extra lemons for your salad. Lemon that stuff up! And I don’t mean lemon juice or sauce. I mean actual lemon slices. Not everyone washes salad ingredients so well. With the amount of chemical products we use on plants, you can’t be too careful. Also, it is extra vitamin C. Don’t you love killing multiple birds with one stone?

– Order hot, plain black tea with your meal and drink it with lemon. Also reduces risk of nausea, indigestion or food-poisoning.

– If you can’t or won’t do any of the above, add lemon to your water. It is healthier, better for your metabolism and again, protects your precious stomach. You are welcome. 🙂

Obviously, don’t ignore the health of your wallet. I recommend choosing a mall with a range of stores, affordable to are you freaking kidding me? In case you need to do some shopping, get that chore done, without killing your budget.

Enjoy other people. You don’t have to mingle with them, but even being alone in a crowd lightens the unbearable heaviness of working alone. And if you are at a co-working space, you can meet other freelancers.

There you go. As I said, if you can take long walks in nature, walk or cycle to your favorite coffee shop or office, it is much better. But if you need a change of scenery, it is far too cold or hot to be outside and taking a hike is not an option, try working at a shopping mall. It might be very good for you. Guess where this post was written?

How to Know If Having An Accountability Partner Will Work for Your Writing Goals

How to Stay Fit, Productive, and Sane As A Freelance Writer: 10 Tips for Having The Best Freelance Writing Work Day At a Shopping Mall