From Swimming Log to Writing Log

By Val
@valmnz (17100)
New Zealand
September 28, 2015 4:05pm CST
I've given myself one more year to get my first draft researched and written. I'm well and truly on track at the moment, but need to keep motivated. Sometimes reflection comes up with interesting ideas. When I was a competitive swimmer, I kept a swimming log book, outlining goals, daily progress and overall achievement. I've decided to transfer this skill to my writing and so have created my writing log book to keep me on track. So far it's working better than I expected. I've also returned to my blog, Down at the Baths, where I started to track my journey through this project of mine. It's been neglected since May, but hopefully now, by including it in my log book goals each week, the blog will start gathering momentum. Log books work for me when it comes to goal setting. What works for you? Do you set weekly goals to see you through parts of life that need to be organised?
13 people like this
11 responses
@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
29 Sep 15
No, I have never written a log book. I organize my days at the start of the weeks (including menus) every Monday morning and I try to follow my schedule.
1 person likes this
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
That's kind of like a log book. Do you make notes on how things went? You are so organised. I take something out f the freezer each morning, then consider what I'll do with it.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
30 Sep 15
@LadyDuck my cooking life is so extremely casual compared to yours!
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@LadyDuck (454979)
• Switzerland
30 Sep 15
@valmnz Yes, I take notes of what I made during the day and of what I prepared for lunch and dinner. It comes handy when I ran out of ideas.
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• Preston, England
29 Sep 15
Your swimming history sounds fascinating. I keep diaries and to do lists that serve some of the functions of a log
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• Preston, England
29 Sep 15
@valmnz That helps, if the research is interesting it makes the rest of the work more enjoyable. Researching something that doesn't grab you would be a struggle
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
@arthurchappell fortunately I've never put myself in the position of writing or researching anything on a large scale that I'm not passionate about.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
The story I'm currently researching is definitely fascinating - to me anyway
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@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
28 Sep 15
I need to hire you to write me some log books. Put that on your list of things to do, okay?
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@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
29 Sep 15
@valmnz Then I need someone to make me keep to it and write things down.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
@Rollo1 sounds like I'll be moving in
@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
28 Sep 15
I imagine that would be quite a lot of fun, creating a log book with you
@allknowing (130088)
• India
30 Sep 15
I am happy that I just get charged into doing things and for which I have no explanation. It is interesting how you have transformed your swimming into a story that will soon unfold.
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@allknowing (130088)
• India
30 Sep 15
@valmnz Yes. I know.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
30 Sep 15
Not only my story but the story of fifty years of swimming locally.
@besweet (9431)
• Greece
28 Sep 15
If the log book has helped you with your swimming goals and was important in your improvement, it'e something that can work for you in every goal with a little adjustment. When it comes to goal setting, I think that keeping a regular schedule also works for me. If I do the part that I need to do before the deadlines, I will continue my program. If I miss a deadline it is harder for me to find motivation and cover for the lost time.
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@besweet (9431)
• Greece
28 Sep 15
@valmnz Yes, I am a last minute person as well when it comes to deadlines. I prioritize tasks based on my time schedule and if there is something more urgent, I put everything aside and manage the most critical task. When I have time for the deadline, I get lazy and don't complete anything.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
28 Sep 15
Getting behind can be disastrous for me and my motivation. I'm usually one for leaving things till close to the deadline, but with a long term project like this I do need to pace myself.
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@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
28 Sep 15
Never done that, about the only time anymore I have clear writing goals is in November, I know how much I have to write per day to be done with NANOWRIMO.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
28 Sep 15
I admire those of you who enter NaNoWriMo. Good luck when the time comes.
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• Centralia, Missouri
29 Sep 15
@valmnz Going to need it this year, normally I can sneak write at work, to keep up my word count, wont be able to this year I dont think.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
@Jessicalynnt when I used to write fiction I often thought I'd have a go. Glad I have an excuse not to now. Guess we won't be seeing much of you in November then.
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@gregario888 (1276)
• Aurangabad, India
29 Sep 15
A superb idea-a writing log! It surely is worth giving a serious try. So far the writing effort has been pretty unfocused. it might help put in some coherence.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
29 Sep 15
It works for me as long as I stick to it, so worth giving a try.
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@cahaya1983 (11121)
• Malaysia
29 Sep 15
Glad to know that the log book helps you. I don't have a particular goal-setting technique, but I usually have a similar routine that I follow everyday. So that pretty much helps me to make sure I complete the tasks that are supposed to be completed.
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@xFiacre (12536)
• Ireland
28 Sep 15
I'm far too haphazard for log books past page one. I'm great at writing to do lists and they are all neatly written and accurately set out but I never get round to implementing the plans.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
28 Sep 15
And that's part of the fun, simply writing them! I'm like that with lists. But now I realised the time has come to be serious. A mere two years till publication date! I need something to keep me on task.
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@MALUSE (69428)
• Germany
29 Sep 15
All this list making and writing down the results afterwards are alien concepts for me. I don't do this but that doesn't mean that I live a chaotic life.
@fawkes62 (1276)
• United States
28 Sep 15
I've never tried a log book, but I do write down things that need to get done by a specific date. I seem to remember better if it's written down.
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@valmnz (17100)
• New Zealand
28 Sep 15
Yes, I do too. I write things down for lots of areas in my life.
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