I love NaNoWriMo and I love setting boundaries, but how on Earth do those 2 things go together?
Well, more than you would expect.
If you’ve ever done NaNoWriMo, it can feel all-encompassing, like it’s taking over your life sometimes. That’s not really how it should be. Not be blasé, but at the end of the day, you’re writing 1,600ish words every day. It doesn’t need to take over every waking minute of your day.
It’s ok if it does! If your life is set up in such a way, that’s a totally fine. Wanting to succeed at NaNoWriMo is one thing; feeling like it dominates your life for a month kind of sucks the fun out of it, doesn’t it?
What do we need? Boundaries. How will we get them? By setting them and sticking to them ourselves!
Yeah, that second part isn’t quite as catchy or fun sounding, is it?
Before we jump in to setting boundaries for NaNoWriMo, I want to share a few resources for setting boundaries in general.
What Boundaries Do You Need for NaNoWriMo?
It goes without saying: start by looking at your life, then your process, then what you want to achieve.
Here are the boundaries I set during NaNoWriMo:
I have a certain time frame every day to write my words. I make time for it, I communicate that need to everyone around me. If I can’t accomplish my words in that set time frame, I can adjust it, but I also can’t push aside other needs in my life for the sake of words.
Limit my screen time outside of work and NaNoWriMo. The rest of the year, I might play Animal Crossing or scroll through IG to rest; this year, since I’ll be increasing my computer screen time, I have to limit my screen time outside of those hours too.
My other work exists and matters outside of NaNoWriMo and I reserve the right to abandon NaNo if it doesn’t serve me.
Now, here are a few categories of boundary that I think everyone attempting NaNoWriMo should consider:
A time boundary: how much time do you have to dedicate to NaNoWriMo?
A mental health boundary: are you in a place where participating in NaNoWriMo will serve you?
A relationship boundary: are you able to communicate to those around you regarding NaNoWriMo? Will they understand to not pressure you to skip it or to dedicate too much time to it?
A physical boundary: are you able to give yourself space to complete NaNoWriMo while still meeting all your own personal needs?
Setting Yourself Up for Success
Setting boundaries isn’t just a chance to be a fuddy duddy or to annoy your friends or loved ones. (It should be said: setting boundaries can seem like a drag, especially if you’re not used to advocating for yourself, but it’s not annoying behavior.)
When you set effective boundaries for yourself and your goals, you set yourself up for success. You take into account your limitations, the limitations of your space, and the abilities of those around you. You make your needs clear to other people and yourself most importantly.
I don’t want you to think of setting boundaries as annoying, or a waste of time. Think of it as just another step, like having the right tools for a job, of being successful.
Other Resources
Here are some other NaNoWriMo-related posts that you may find helpful!
