Tuesday's Bad Habits

This weekend I sat down and started compiling all of last year's writing that I'd logged in 750words. I decided to do it by character and theme. Some were histories and back story for Chrysalis and a lot some were silly little fan fictions character studies. It was fun to read through them and laugh at myself.

After the fourth or fifth one, I noticed an interesting trend. On average, each idea, always incomplete, would take about five days to write and total around 20,000 words. Then I would move on to the next idea. Sometimes I would go back, start a new arc and spend five additional days writing 20,000 more words. I only did that about three or four times.

As I sat down to analyze my data, I realized I'm coming up on 250 consecutive days of writing. I haven't missed a day since May of last year. I've been logging my words with a fanaticism that borders on religious. 

On the one hand, consistency is key in this profession. You have to be willing work every day and you have to do it on your own because no one can make you do this if you don't really want it.  On the other, I've developed a bad habit--I'm using 750words as a reason not to seriously edit Chrysalis because I'm worried if I miss a day, I'll miss two, then four, then an entire month and I desperately don't want to lose momentum.

So I've decided I need to break it. Some time this week I need to let my streak lapse so I can focus on finishing this edit. I can mark my progress and awesomeness in other ways but I've got to let this bad habit go, along with my fear of losing momentum.

Obviously I've got this. I've written 250 consecutive days. I have discipline. I just need to focus it elsewhere.

So, fellow HoKers, what are your bad habits and what can you do to break them?