THOUGH FUN and rewarding, a 10K Day is very looooong. But you can take some simple actions to increase your staying power.
Furthermore, you can increase your productivity by eliminating some things you’d normally take for granted.
Start Your Morning Right
On the morning of your 10K Day, you should dress comfortably and eat a proper breakfast. I always start with two poached eggs and two slices of whole wheat toast.
Though you might be tempted to “save time” by skipping breakfast, trying to survive the day on snacks (especially if your snacks don’t contain much protein) is going to drain your brain of energy big time.
Drink Plenty of Water
Another excellent way to fry your brain cells is to make them work harder than usual while letting them dehydrate. To avoid this kind of avoidable brain fog, drink water at regular intervals.
How to Magically Create More Time for Your Writing
Your family and friends are not the only distractions you’ll need to tame. Are you addicted to Twitter, Facebook or the news channel? Does your idea of writing time involve reading posts on writing blogs and then leaving comments?
First, give a Viking-sized holler of courage:
RAAARRRGGHH!
Now log out of everything and turn off the TV.
You’ll be amazed how much more writing you can get done without these time suckers!
Zen Writing
When you sit down to write on a 10K Day, you should rely solely on creativity, heart and courage.
J.R. Turner (the friend who introduced me to the 10K Day) advises that you should hide your hard copy dictionary and thesaurus. In addition, turn off spell check, grammar check and the thesaurus option in your word processing program.
J.R. says: “Eliminate as much as you can until it’s simply you and the blank page—your imagination and the story, nothing else.”
It’s not about finding the perfect word or creating flawless sentences. It’s about losing yourself in your writing.
A Shower Late in the Day Can Work Wonders
From my 2006 article, Results of My First Ever 10K Day:
“By the end of the third session, I was royally burnt out. I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. I couldn’t imagine facing two more sessions and churning out another 4,000 words.
“I decided to have a longer break after the third session to try to revive myself. I took a shower, put on some fresh clothes and had something to eat. I was prepared to also go do something relaxing, such as read a light magazine—but to my surprise, by the time I was finished eating I was eager to dive in again.”
Stretch Your Body
Your poor body is going to suffer during a 10K Day. Being made to sit in a chair all day while you largely ignore its needs is not the kindest thing. You can do your body a great service by adding some stretches to your day.
Here’s a free (and quick to read) e-book about stretching correctly, complete with photos to illustrate how:
Stretches for Desk Jockeys by Robin Segal
Enjoy your 10K Day! — Milli
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