Quantum Storytelling

Overachievement is one of the better books I’ve read in a long while. If you’re like me, you often think that there’s never enough time in the day to get done all the things you’d like. Also like me, you probably search for ways to clear things off your plate to make time for the more important things, like writing.

But what if somebody told you all this plate-clearing was a waste of time? What if there was a better way?

John Eliot proposes to give you just such a better way.

Trusting vs. Training Mindset

One of the key insights of the book is the idea that there are two primary modes for any activity: Trusting, and Training. This is similar to the difference between Generate & Explore I discussed when explaining the geneplore model.

Training: Self-criticizing, evaluating, strategizing, self-improving.

Trusting: Confident, focused on task at hand, at your peak performance, getting things done.

More often than not we are stuck in the self-criticizing or self-improving frame of mind, which is the Training mindset. When you’re writing, you shouldn’t be editing, criticizing, evaluating, or trying to improve anything. You should just be writing. That’s it.

There is a time and place for self-evaluation and self-improvement after the performance, and before the next performance. But when you are performing, the only thing on your mind should be the target right in front of you.

Which leads to John Eliot’s other key insight in the book…

Target the Process as a Way to Focus

Just like a marksman must aim at his target, or the golf pro must line up her shot, a writer should target something too — the writing process. Targeting is a useful tool for focusing. When you’re writing, the only thing on your mind should be writing. Not your next trip to the grocery store or the things you’ve got going on at work. Your target for writing is writing. Nothing else.


Preparation Routines

The way to shift from a Training to a Trusting mindset, and into full targeting mode is through a prep routine. Some people crack their knuckles, pace around the room a bit, then sit down to write. Others may have a cup of coffee and stare out the window. It doesn’t really matter what your prep routine is, but whatever it is should get you into a Trusting mindset and ready to write. It’s more about what happens in your mind during the prep routine. You should be getting ready to think about writing and only writing.

There are many other insights in the book, and if you’re into this sort of thing I urge you to read it. I got a lot of mileage out of Overachievement, and I hope you do too.