{"id":11050,"date":"2017-07-10T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-07-10T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=11050"},"modified":"2017-07-10T12:17:41","modified_gmt":"2017-07-10T16:17:41","slug":"practicing-detachment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/?p=11050","title":{"rendered":"3 Ways Practicing Detachment Can Promote Writing Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attachment is a common plight of many writers. <\/span><\/p>\n

We insert pieces of ourselves into our writing, drawing us closer to our work than with many other professions. However, becoming overly attached can lead to decreased productivity, weighing down creativity like a backpack full of bricks. <\/span><\/p>\n

Admittedly, I\u2019ve struggled greatly with over-attachment throughout my career \u2013 my desire to write an award-winning perfect first draft often leading to complete <\/span>writer\u2019s block<\/span><\/a> (and a lot of incomplete Word docs). <\/span><\/p>\n

So when the idea of non-attachment serendipitously fell into my lap during a yoga class, I was eager to explore its practical applications in regards to my perfectionist writing dilemma. This slight shift in mindset has worked wonders for my productivity and creative well-being. <\/span><\/p>\n

Here are three ways practicing non-attachment can improve your productivity and writerly well-being. <\/span><\/p>\n

1. Releasing self-imposed expectations <\/span><\/h2>\n

The philosophy of non-attachment is characterized by overcoming attachment to desire, leading to a heightened perspective. <\/span><\/p>\n

When applied to writing, non-attachment has the ability to relieve negative emotions often associated with self-imposed expectations \u2013 that is, your predispositions toward desired outcomes. <\/b><\/p>\n

After all, we don\u2019t have control over how others will respond to our work once we hit send, submit or publish. It\u2019s out of our hands and letting go will ease outcome anxieties while waiting to hear back from the reader \u2013 whether it be an editor, publisher, client or friend. <\/span><\/p>\n

For example, I recently submitted a piece of short fiction to a literary journal. After spending weeks molding my blank page into what I thought was a near-perfect story, I\u2019d grown rather attached. I expected to hear back from the editor with acceptance and accolades. Needless to say, my expectations let me down when reality handed me a one-sentence rejection email. <\/span><\/p>\n

In this instance, my premature speculation cost me energy that could have been used more productively. And when it comes to creative professions, like writing, energy is time and time is money. <\/span><\/p>\n

Alternatively, I could have avoided the frustration associated with this scenario by making a conscious effort to not expect a specific outcome beyond my control. Imposing incalculable expectations on the future is about as tangible as the wishes we make when blowing out birthday candles. <\/span><\/p>\n

The takeaway: Maintaining a non-attached mindset will save time and energy, which you can put back into producing new ideas and creating more content. <\/b><\/p>\n

2. Letting go, literally and figuratively <\/span><\/h2>\n

Boiled down, non-attachment is simply the practice of letting go of desires and feelings that do not serve you. <\/span><\/p>\n

In a literal sense, <\/span>letting go has helped me double my submission output month-over-month.<\/b> I once struggled to submit anything short of perfection. Since shifting my perspective, I\u2019ve managed to increase output by literally letting my work go out into the world. <\/span><\/p>\n

Prior to incorporating a non-attached frame of mind, I often found myself unnecessarily spending hours rewriting and proofing, only to convince myself the piece was unworthy of publication. Now, two rounds of drafting and a final proof are sufficient. <\/span><\/p>\n

Which leads me to my next point: letting go emotionally. <\/span><\/p>\n

From a less literal standpoint, there comes a time when you\u2019ll have to let go of ideas you\u2019ve held safely in your own mind. If you\u2019re a writer, you will have to open those safe spaces. You\u2019ll have to pair your ideas with words and share them with the world. This requires vulnerability \u2013 and practicing non-attachment eases that vulnerability. <\/span><\/p>\n

Letting go emotionally will also help you overcome pesky emotions associated with rejection, unconstructive feedback and negative reviews. Effectively, this will leave more energetic space for you to focus on the present tasks at hand. <\/span><\/p>\n

The takeaway: Letting go allows you to increase your output and maintain a clear focus, rather than agonizing over miniscule (and often unnecessary) details. \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

3. Accepting \u201cwhat is\u201d \u2013 not wishing \u201cwhat if\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

Not to be confused with indifference or apathy, non-attachment is an objective state of mind that allows you to maintain an honest perspective of what actually is \u2013 not what you wish or expect it to be. <\/span><\/p>\n

It allows us to accept and appreciate what we have without desire for more or less. <\/span><\/p>\n

Writing, in its own right, is subjective. A writing style that resonates with you isn\u2019t guaranteed to resonate with others. The way you express an idea with words might not align with the way someone else imagines it. That\u2019s okay. <\/span><\/p>\n

By building a non-attached relationship with your writing, you can more efficiently process feedback, criticism and rejection for what it is. Don\u2019t overthink it. <\/b><\/p>\n

Contrarily, you could brood over all the what ifs. <\/span>What if I\u2019d written the intro differently? What if my protagonist was less of a jerk? What if I\u2019d taken a different angle on that pitch? <\/span><\/i>Albeit, this approach is guaranteed to hinder your productivity. <\/span><\/p>\n

The takeaway: There\u2019s far more power (and productivity) in embracing the present, as compared to wallowing in the past or fretting over feedback the future may hold. <\/b><\/p>\n

By combining a non-attached mindset with <\/span>straightforward techniques to improve your writing<\/span><\/a>, you, too, can write more freely and increase your productivity. <\/span><\/p>\n

What other techniques do you employ to improve your productivity? <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Start using these strategies to detach from your writing and increase productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":345,"featured_media":11117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1144,1143,724,866],"class_list":["post-11050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-craft","tag-get-more-work-done","tag-increase-your-productivity","tag-overcome-writers-block","tag-write-more"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/345"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thewritelife.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}