One of my big goals this year is to write a book proposal — a pitch of my book idea to publishers.
I'm excited about the project… but there’s nothing like trying to write that makes you question whether or not you are, in fact, able to write. I've had to dig deep, to carve out the time and motivation for it.
A friend asked me about my progress recently, and I started to text her back: “I’m halfway through the chapter summaries!” But as soon as I typed it, it looked so… insignificant.
I've been working really hard, so calling my progress “halfway” made my efforts feel small. And made my goal feel far, far away.
So I tried one of my favorite tricks: I made the effort more visible. I put my draft into a word counter tool, and the number popped up: Over 10,000 words. 10k! I mean… holy crap!
I was able to text my friend: “I’m more than halfway done with the chapter summaries. Over 10,000 words so far!”
She responded with a string of party emojis, and it really did feel like a party. Still the same work — but I'd made the effort visible.
That’s the thing about effort: So much of it is invisible. It’s not like putting away laundry and seeing the towels neatly folded on shelves… instead, it often happens in the background, and in tiny increments. Whatever “progress” looks like for your project, the effort might not always show up in physical, tangible ways.
Which is why it can be such a powerful little trick to try and make your effort more visible.
The methods are simple: You could color in the days you show up on a calendar, or make a log to track your hours or reps or pages. Save screenshots of goal-related wins, or put outreach emails in a folder called Proof I’m Doing the Thing, and watch them add up.
Or, yes — a sticker chart. (They're popular with kids for a reason!)
Sometimes the most motivating thing isn’t doing more.
It’s realizing how much you’ve already done.
Dr. Sarah Glova, Co-Editor of Pause, Compulsive Word Count Checker
Next week, I'll be diving into the deeper, research-backed side of this idea — in my new Substack, The Science of Getting There.
Think about how you feel before you give a presentation. Are you excited and riding that adrenaline wave? Or are you shaking in your boots because of your nerves? Or maybe somewhere in between?
What do you tell yourself in those moments, before, during, and after a presentation?
For me, I am always thinking about my message map and how it will help me get my ideas across to my audience. And I am thinking about breathing and NOT using my favorite filler words (“so” and “right?”).
I create a note with my message map that lists my most important bottom line up front information, main points, and forward-looking statement. Writing it down (even though I don’t use it during the talk) helps me remember what I want to say. After the presentation, I write out what went well and what I want to avoid doing next time! This is how I work on my goal of continually improving my speaking skills.
When I am supporting students with their speaking skills, I encourage them to create their own message maps. After they present, I prepare a dashboard that rates criteria for good presentations in order to visualize what they are doing well and what they can work on to improve. Students also reflect on what went well and what they want to focus on — which usually aligns perfectly with the dashboard results!
Writing notes, reflecting, tracking changes, and making specific plans all contribute positively to stronger presentation skills.
And I’ve got the data to back that up! 🙂
Dr. Sarah Egan Warren, Co-Editor of Pause, Unabashed Data Nerd
Photo throwback: One of SG's first “big audience” talks back in 2017!
