I Wrote 20,000 Words in 2 Weeks
Wow, it really worked…
I meant to post this Monday morning to mark Week 2 of my Personal Productivity Experiment. If you haven’t read the original article, TLDR; I deleted almost all of the apps on my phone that cause distractions.
Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, Tumblr — you name it, it’s gone.
Other than music and audiobooks, my phone has only been used for texting, calls, and keeping my calendar intact. (And of course, a calculator and flashlight, but those don’t count).
Why did I do this?
Besides my phone being something of an addiction, I wanted to see if removing distractions would open up my brain for more writing. I, like many of us, am working on a novel. My goal is to write 3 short novels in a single series by December 11th (an important date that I hope to discuss with you later).
The ultimate goal?
Become a full-time self-published author, make my own book covers, and free myself from the constraints of my current Corporate America job.
How’s it Going so Far?
I’ve slipped up a few times.
I still have Netflix on my smart TV which poses a problem at night. My boyfriend and I like to eat dinner and watch Silicon Valley, but he makes sure we don’t binge — for which I am forever grateful.
Plus, when I watch TV now it’s an event. We sit down, turn it on, have to pause it when we get up, etc. Just like the old days.
I no longer take Netflix with me everywhere, like when I cook or clean.
But I still reach for my phone all the time. In the absence of entertainment apps I sometimes wake from a fugue state and find myself refreshing my email over and over again. Like a little phone zombie.
The brain rot runs real deep, you guys.
But slowly, somehow, I’m retraining my brain. I come home from work and, rather than immediately crawl into bed and scroll through my phone, I am much more productive. For example, on weekends I automatically do chores when I’ve got nothing else to do.
I know that sounds sad, but my apartment has never been so spotless.
What else?
- I post little updates like this.
- I take longer walks (my dog Sage has been loving this experiment).
- I cook big meals with my boyfriend.
- I curl up on the couch and read on my Kindle.
- I go out to the pool with my girlfriends.
- I write.
But the best part is, my mind is so quiet.
I never thought that could happen anymore. I honestly thought I had gone too far, couldn’t come back. I thought I’d always feel the way I did after coming up for air after 3-hour scroll binges on TikTok or YouTube Shorts.
But I do feel different. More… relaxed. I just kind of chill around the house, pick up my laptop, and work on my story.
Maybe I stop and read a book. Maybe I unpack a box or two. Often, I will walk around town with my boyfriend and Sage. I like that we just talk about our lives — though Sage mostly sniffs.
One of the best parts of this experiment is that, when I go to bed at night, I don’t have hundreds of videos and voices rolling around in my head. Instead, I end up thinking through scenes for my book, or reflect on my day.
Progress on the Novel:
I deleted my apps on the night of Thursday, June 20th. My novel started with 500 words.
It has been 18 days, and I am now at 21,163 words.
And let’s not forget, my day job is content writing. That means I write about 2,000 words per day for work, on top of the 2,000 per day that I’ve been writing for my novel.
So, over the course of the past two weeks, I wrote 20,000 words at work, and about 12,000 at home.
- Is this experiment to thank for it?
- Am I just on a streak?
- Can I keep up this pace?
- Will I eventually burn out?
- Is carpal tunnel setting in?
I’ll keep you updated.
Shelbs
Hey, I’m Shelby! I help first-time authors write and self-publish on a budget. I’ve created free resources, hosted design workshops, and I’ve just written a book about how to design a book cover layout with Canva!
