This is probably something that you’ve heard a million times before. I’m sure you’ll hear it a million times again… but I’m going to tell you now, and speak from the heart. Sometimes we think that we have a lot of time to do things… so we put it off for a year, for another year… for another year. We do that thinking that we will always have time to finish our goals.
How would you feel if you woke up tomorrow knowing that you only had a few weeks left to finish everything that you had on your ‘to-do’ list? I’ve recently had some events taking place in my life (nothing to do with me being ill, so no worries) that has put into perspective the fact that there isn’t always time to wait. Sometimes the ‘eventually’ should be today. Sometimes the things that we need to put off should be done in the moment. Sometimes that moment is all that we have.
So, before you decide to tell yourself that you can always do NaNo next year, think for a moment about the reasons that you should do it this year. What if someone that you care about isn’t around this time next year to read what you produce? Do you want that regret in your life? Of course you don’t. I promise you don’t. So, please, listen to me when I’m telling you this… don’t wait to do tomorrow what you might only have today to truly appreciate.
This is a short little tip, but one that I felt the need to share. You’re all amazing, and signing on here every day to see my views and comments really helps to cheer me up with the upset that I’m feeling right now. You’re all amazing.
Until next time, keep reading and writing.
Author Amanda McCormick
Author Amanda McCormick 
That’s a good point, if a little melancholy. For me, I didn’t feel ready tackle NaNo before this – I’m not only okay with the more relaxed rules that apply these days, but now I’m also okay with the idea I might fail and that’s all right. I will say however I wish I had got involved before because there’s a sense of community and a sharing of ideas and enthusiasm that I hadn’t realised existed, and I’m already learning and enjoying the experience as preparations commence.
So to anyone on the fence about it I’d say sign up, but don’t put pressure on yourself, just commit to doing your best and taking away from the experience whatever you learn about what works for you.
Do it before you’re ready, isn’t that the advice? 🙂
Yes, this is simple, but the most important tip! Just do it!
I’m actually super busy this year, but this kind of tip really pushed me to do it anyway, and the fact that my region always says, “If you write one sentence, that’s more you wrote than if you hadn’t done NaNo.”