Make Writing a Priority: 1000 Words a Day
If you want to improve your writing productivity, you need to make writing a priority. While this may seem obvious, it actually took me a long time to learn, and I know other writers who struggle to do this as well. Wanting to write more and actually taking the steps to write more are two completely different things. It took a long time for this to click for me, and I’m sure there are others out there who struggle with it without even realizing they haven’t noticed the difference. If you find you have all the best intentions to write 1000 words a day, but you aren’t able to reach that goal more days than you’re able to, there’s a good chance you aren’t making your writing a priority.
Making your writing a priority will mean you’re going to have to make some changes to your schedule. It may mean you will have to delay, or even give up, some of the things you enjoy doing. You’re going to have to make a concerted effort to put aside time to make sure you have the opportunity to reach your daily take a walk and begin writing. This is one example of a change I needed to make to my daily routine to truly make writing a priority. Some others included watching less Netflix, not wasting time on the computer, and limiting the time I spent on several of my favorite hobbies.
Here’s a challenge. Take a look at the things you are actually doing each day. The things you’re actually doing are what you are prioritizing over the things you aren’t able to find the time do. If the things you’re actually doing aren’t consistent with what you say you want to be doing, then either one of two things is going on:
1. What you say you want to do isn’t really a priority
2. You need to change your life so that you’re actually doing what is a priority.
For most people, you’re going to have to make changes so writing becomes a priority (if it was already a priority, you’d already have no problem reaching your daily word count goal). This is especially true if your goal is to write more on a daily basis. It’s often not easy to find the extra time to write as much as you want, but if writing 1000 words a day (or whatever your daily writing goal may be) is something you truly want to do, you’ll find a way to make that time.
On a side note, this really applies to all areas of your life, not just writing. It’s good to do a monthly audit of how you spend your time to make sure you’re spending it doing the activities that are most important to you. If you find you aren’t spending time in a way that aligns with your goals, you need to figure out a way to change up your routine so those things most important to you become a priority. (659 words)
(Photo courtesy of R/DV/RS)
Great advice, especially on days where you do not feel like writing at all. It is always so important to know what your priorities are in life. If you want to be a writer, then you have to make writing a priority. It just makes sense, but a lot of people who say they want to be writers never do this.
I think if you plan on making a living as a writer, then this is a known fact. You need to keep it at the top of your daily priorities to make sure you do it efficiently. Good words to internalize if you want to be successful.