Flexibility is underrated

Here we are—November 1st—and I’m nowhere near finished with my novel. Needless to say, my wildly ambitious goal of re-editing two books and drafting one in three months… isn’t going to happen. (Tiny sad moment here, please. I really thought I could pull it off.)

Sure, my ultimate deadline of December 31st still stands, but today marks that invisible line in the sand I’d been eyeing all year—the collective turning point for writers everywhere when anything feels possible for one magical month. I truly wanted to join the adventure. But now, I see that if I want to get somewhere meaningful before that clock strikes midnight, I’ll have to hand the wheel back to an old friend: flexibility.

What I Did Well—and What I’m Proud Of

I didn’t shy away from the challenge of setting an ambitious goal, even though it was massive and scary to commit to.

That very goal forced me to rethink my foundation:

Was my writing setup strong enough to support consistent effort?

Was my space conducive to flow, with minimal distractions?

When would I write? Where? For how long?

It made me elevate my level of commitment—and learn to say no.

To protect my focus, I had to quit mindless scrolling, patch the leaks in my daily systems, and clean out the inefficiencies that were quietly robbing me of creative energy.

And you know what? Somehow, I feel more like a writer because of it. This goal asked me to rewire my entire life in service of the vision.

For that—and so many other things—I’m proud I dared, even when the odds were all against me.

Because October wasn’t easy. My husband’s seasonal job runs from April to mid-November, which means long hours and not much help around the house. And when things break (they did), the details land squarely in my lap.

All this to say: even when you have a clear vision—especially then—life will inevitably interfere. You’ll be asked to bend, adjust, and revisit your plans again and again.

So, What Now?

At this point, I have two choices.

Option one: Dedicate one focused hour per day to write 1,667 words for that third book. I could even revise the classic NaNoWriMo goal—bring it down from 50,000 to 40,000 words (since that’s closer to my natural draft length). And maybe, just maybe, give myself Sundays off. That would bring the daily target to about 1,600 words.

Option two: Use all my time to finish revising Book 2, then begin my own “40,000 words in a month” challenge that overlaps November and December.

But here’s the thing I’ve learned: indecision is the mother of perfectionism.

If I want to move forward, I need to choose—and commit.

So, I’m going with option one. And I’m starting now.

What about you?

What are you putting off because you’re hesitating?

Maybe—just maybe—a little flexibility is all you need to move forward, too.