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7. Suggestions— Recognize the necessity for work; start to
day; set a time limit for the first trial; finish what you agree
to do.
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Make Work a Game
AS FAR BACK AS I CAN REMEMBER I
have made my work a series of contests or games. This habit is one of the luckiest things that ever happened to me.
Here are some examples of how "making work a game" has helped me—
As a small boy I had one chore I really disliked. We had a coal-burning furnace and each Saturday I had to clean out the cinders and ashes. One day my dad asked me how many pails of ashes I took out each week. That did it— I got so engrossed in keeping track of the number that I forgot to hate the job.
When I was about 15 years old, my pal and I got summer jobs addressing, filling, and stamping circular letters. He and I had a contest running all the time to see who could turn out the largest number of completed letters ready for mailing. It was really fun and we did an amazing amount of work.
In high school I rewarded myself for completing my study assignments by permitting myself to "read for fun."
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MAKE WORK A GAME 117
When I got out of college, I secured a position as athletic coach and principal of a high school. I decided to buy a typewriter to use in my work. I got a book of instructions, bought some blank caps to put on the keys, and started to learn typing. It was soon obvious that I was getting nowhere because I didn't practice regularly. So I made a deal with myself. I had to practice every morning for 20 minutes before going to school, or practice a full hour at night before going to bed. This worked like a charm, and I seldom had to practice at night either. I learned the "touch system," and it has stood me in good stead all my life. While I'm no expert typist, I can do well enough to take care of my work and preliminary writing.
HOW TO WRITE A BOOK
Many people ask, "How can you possibly find time to write a book?"
I tell them, "It's easy if you make a game of it. If you want to write a book, you must do six things—
1. Select a theme or subject that intensely interests you.
2. Think it over several months. Make some notes.
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