T I M E M A N A G E M E N T
4. Sustain the Flow
Take breaks before you need them. Writing is one of the most tiring
things you can do while sitting down. Don’t wait until you’re exhausted.
Stretch, take a walk, get some water, and return to the battle.
Don’t wait until you’re stuck to stop, either for a break or at
the end of a day’s session. If you do, you’ll carry a sense of dread
around with you. When you sit down to begin again, you’ll have a
tough time getting started.
Break knowing exactly how you’ll continue. Jot yourself a few
notes on the next two or three points you want to make. You’ll be
ready to start without a warm-up.
5. Finish Cleanly
You’ve said what you needed to say. Now you need to come up
with the Big Finish, right?
Wrong.
Trying to come up with an important-sounding conclusion
is another waste of time. You are not trying to impress anyone
with your literary prowess. This is business. If the piece of writ-
ing is long, reiterate the main idea or recap the main points. If it’s
short, simply end strongly with your final point. Make sure that the
reader takes away the conclusion you intended.
6. edit by the Numbers
You’ve written quickly—and the writing shows it. You’ve got
some editing to do.
If possible, arrange your work schedule so that you can set the
just-completed document aside and do something else before you
try to revise. That usually means getting the rough draft done far
enough ahead of deadline, and that’s a matter of good planning.