My December Writing Challenge: Week Four Update

Week four feels quieter — not necessarily easier, but calmer in a strange way.

Overall, things are going smoothly. I’ve been hitting my work goals, keeping up as best as I can, and honestly just trying not to overthink everything the way I usually do.

One thing I’ve decided is that this year, I’m not making a bucket list. No big goals, no dramatic resolutions. Instead, I might just make a simple list of stories I’d like to finish. No pressure attached to it.

That alone already feels healthier.

Decluttering My Drafts

I’ve also been backing up and removing old stories from my Wattpad drafts. I have way too many, and seeing all of them at once genuinely overwhelms me. It’s not motivating — it’s paralyzing.

So I made a decision.

I’ve chosen three stories to focus on this year:

• two that I’ve already been working on recently
• plus one older story I started about a year and a half ago

That older one especially feels important to finish. It’s been sitting there for so long, and I don’t want to carry it with me mentally into another year. There are other old stories too, sure — but I can’t do everything at once, and I’m finally accepting that.

The Last Day — Christmas

By the last day of the challenge — Christmas — I was already exhausted and honestly kind of annoyed. I didn’t want to write. At all.

And that’s okay.

This challenge did what it needed to do. It pushed me, showed me my limits, helped me finish something important — and now it’s time to stop forcing it.

What Comes After the Challenge

I already know how I’m writing after this is over:

• Slow and steady
• One-hour timer
• Whatever I write, I write
• 750 words a day
• If I miss a day, I catch up over the weekend

No guilt. No spreadsheets breathing down my neck. No pretending that burnout is discipline.

Final Thoughts

This challenge taught me a lot — not just about productivity, but about restraint. About knowing when to push and when to stop. About how finishing one story matters more than touching ten others.

I don’t need another extreme challenge right now.
I just need consistency, clarity, and space.

And honestly? That feels like the best way to end the year.