1. Unplug
How many times a day do you check your email or social media? A good way to increase productivity is to spend less time scrolling and more time focusing on your writing goals and commitment to yourself. Set a limit on email and social media and stick to it. For example, you could dedicate time to respond to email at 11am and 4pm instead of checking and responding constantly to the demands of others throughout the day. Make yourself the priority and stop making the priorities of others your priority. Limit social media time the same way. If you have a serious addiction to social media check it at 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm for five minutes at a time. This way you limit your total time to 15-20 minutes without feeling like you missed anything. Use your spare time to write.
2. Make time to make the magic happen
Make the commitment to yourself that this is your year to get it done. If 500 words a day doesn’t motivate you or seems too daunting, give yourself 15 minutes a day. You have 15 minutes everyday to write. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed or pressured by the commitment. If you go over 15 minutes, fantastic! If not, you’ve kept your commitment to yourself and you'll feel satisfaction in moving a bit closer to your goal.
3. Research
Let’s face it, sometimes we just don’t feel like writing. We stare at the page or worse we avoid the page by doing the dishes, running errands, or making a sandwich. If you’re feeling like you don’t want to physically write then why not do some research to help inform your writing? The research that you do will move you toward your writing goals and more than likely you’ll find inspiration to write. If you research or read and take notes on how to use this information in your writing you can include that in your 15 minute writing time.
4. Keep a writing journal
Keep a journal so that you write down how many words or how much time you spent writing each day. If your goal is to write 15 minutes a day on one project, then write that time down in your journal and what you wrote about. Also write about what you need to do the next day. This way, you can follow your progress and when you look back at what you did the previous day, you’ll be inspired to continue.
5. Get support
Join a writers group, go on a writing retreat, or hire a coach so that you have someone to hold you accountable and motivate you when you’re feeling uninspired. Don’t write in a bubble. Get feedback to help you develop your ideas further. If you would like help from me email info@womenwritingwellness.com to schedule a free consultation.