The battle against time - The FAST system in the real world - The payoff

Writing FAST - Jeff Bollow 2012

The battle against time
The FAST system in the real world
The payoff

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Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.

—Goethe

16 The FAST system in the real world

Focus. Apply. Strengthen. Tweak.

That’s the system.

And now that you understand it, let’s kick it into overdrive.

I want you to become a writing machine!

All in all, the FAST System is pretty simple. You take the complex process of writing, and break it down into phases. And then you break those phases down into steps.

And when you systematically move through each step, you’ll finish any writing project quickly and easily. With more clarity. More impact. And a stronger effect on your reader.

But before you leap into it, wait for the Payoff.

In this section, I’ll show you how to maximize the FAST System. This is where the final puzzle pieces snap into place.

In this chapter, we’ll look at how FAST fits into the real world, and your everyday life.

Then in the next chapter, I’ll show you FAST’s most powerful technique. Plus, extra ways to get the most out of the system.

And in the final chapter, we’ll push it all to lightning speed.

Look, I know what’s waiting for you when you finish a major project. The sense of accomplishment. The satisfaction. The burst of energy that gets you focused on the next one!

The FAST System will get you there.

But FAST itself is just a system. It needs you to operate it.

And when you do, watch out.

A lightning storm is about to erupt.

The battle against time

A couple short chapters from now, you’ll finish this book. And as you leave its little cocoon, all the interruptions and chaos of life will come flooding back into your mind.

The “real world” returns.

And, suddenly, you’ll be pressed for time, again.

We all are. Time is life’s scarcest commodity. So we race into things, scrambling to finish at breakneck speed.

Heck, it’s probably the reason you got this book!

But we run into a real danger.

The danger of charging in too fast.

See, life is an incredibly short adventure. Each of us has an astoundingly small window of time in which to achieve everything we will ever accomplish.

So what we do — even though we shouldn’t — is leap headlong into things, fighting against time every step of the way. We think, I’ve gotta get this done NOW, before it’s too late!

And we rush in, and get lost.

But the way to conquer time is to work with it, instead of against it. To harness it, and ride it like a horse.

The reason FAST works, is not because you’re racing through it. It’s not because of the speed writing techniques. That’s only a very small part of it.

It works because it’s methodical.

Because you know you want to write that thing. You know you want to finish by a certain date. And with the system, you can place each part of the job into its own block of time.

You plan it. You move through. Step by step.

You don’t beat the clock — you assign it.

And that’s how you win this battle. It’s the only way to beat it. It’s the only way to write fast.

But you’ve got to do it!

It’s easy to read a book like this, think about it for a week or two, dabble with some speed writing, and then put it out of your mind. Life will always throw you distractions.

The only way to avoid that — the only way — is to begin applying the FAST System immediately.

Put it into practice. Into your daily routine.