Special thanks to Kathy Fork for sharing some productivity tips for writers in her guest post, below.
Stick To It With Stickers!
By Kathy Fork
By Kathy Fork
As a kid during the 1980s, I fell hard for stickermania. I filled my sticker albums with Mrs. Grossman’s teddy bears, sparkly unicorns, puffy penguins, and my favorite scratch & sniff…Melon Power! While I was working on an MFA in Writing during the first two years of the pandemic, I often wished for more melon power. I wondered where all the discipline and energy of my youth had disappeared to. I’d started the MFA, in part, to motivate myself to write more. But despite my best intentions, I often found myself procrastinating and cramming before deadlines. So much so, that my critical thesis topic focused on procrastination and creating a writing ritual…ha!
During my research I discovered a lot about creating good habits. One of my favorite productivity tips came from a surprising source…Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld told an aspiring comic that to get better, he should write jokes every day. For each day he wrote jokes, he was to mark a big red X on a calendar taped to the wall. As those Xs added up, a chain would appear. “Don’t break the chain!” Seinfeld advised.
During my research I discovered a lot about creating good habits. One of my favorite productivity tips came from a surprising source…Jerry Seinfeld. Seinfeld told an aspiring comic that to get better, he should write jokes every day. For each day he wrote jokes, he was to mark a big red X on a calendar taped to the wall. As those Xs added up, a chain would appear. “Don’t break the chain!” Seinfeld advised.
I love this method because I’ve found it both simple and effective. Once I’ve set a goal and committed to it for a few days, I really don’t want to break my chain. I’ve used it successfully with diet, exercise, and oh yes, writing. My little twist is to print out free calendars or charts from the internet and then fill them with stickers instead of Xs. I put the chart on my fridge where I can’t avoid seeing it. When I complete my goal for the day, I get a little burst of joy and satisfaction from adding a sticker. It seems like such a small thing, but I’ve found it to be a compelling motivator. Such is the power of the streak (and my inner 80s kid feels like hot stuff)!
More About Kathy:
Kathy Fork grew up in the suburban wilds of New Jersey in an old colonial farmhouse where she whiled away many hours reading, drawing, and organizing her sticker collection. A former teacher and school librarian, she recently graduated from the Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Kathy currently resides in California with a sticker-loving teen and two spoiled dogs. When she isn’t procrastinating, Kathy writes picture book manuscripts and poetry.
Kathy Fork grew up in the suburban wilds of New Jersey in an old colonial farmhouse where she whiled away many hours reading, drawing, and organizing her sticker collection. A former teacher and school librarian, she recently graduated from the Vermont College of Fine Arts with an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Kathy currently resides in California with a sticker-loving teen and two spoiled dogs. When she isn’t procrastinating, Kathy writes picture book manuscripts and poetry.
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