It’s the same story every summer. I figure that my clients will take advantage of long, hot days to sit in the sun or under an umbrella and write even more than usual. And each summer the opposite occurs. With kids out of school and vacations in the offing, they decide to take a break from writing instead. Most return to their projects in September, but some do not, the loss of momentum proving just too much to overcome.
Living on my own I understand all too well how the demands of daily life, let alone a summertime schedule, can hamper one’s productivity. (You’ll notice that I’ve been suspiciously late on my weekly blog posts and have even missed a few.) So I figured that I would look to my pups for solutions. That’s when I realized that it’s really very simple. My four dogs don’t worry about where we’re headed or what we’re doing. If we’re going somewhere, they jump in the car ready for whatever adventure lies ahead. If I’m outside working in the yard, they lie on the hot stone patio or the cool lawn—or nestle down into the dirt flower beds—until a not-so-smart squirrel decides to venture out. When I’m at my desk or on the phone, they nap, patrol for sidewalk trespassers (otherwise known as passers-by), keep an eye out for that same not-so-smart squirrel, and nap some more. And when we hit the road in my Teardrop Trailer, they do all of the above, just in different locations.
In short, they lead their doggy lives regardless of where we are or what else we’re doing.
How can you make that work for you? Sure, you may have to amend how often you write or how long you can write at one time. Maybe you’ll have to focus on research or background reading and write sloppy notes instead of stellar prose. But truth be told, we can all usually find a few minutes on most days to scribble in a notebook or, yes, to write a blog post instead of putting it off. And maybe, just maybe, with a dog-like mindset, you’ll find a way not only to survive the dog days of summer, but to actually capitalize on them.
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