by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
I think it’s really helpful to know your most productive time of the day. That way, you can arrange your calendar (if you have that luxury) to knock out the most important things while you have the energy and the willpower.
For me, it’s very early in the morning. A normal day for me is to get up, peek at emails on my phone while getting ready (I won’t allow myself to respond, though…no one’s really up at 5:00 anyway), go downstairs, let the dog out, and start writing. After I meet my goal, I usually schedule social media. Then my daughter is up for the day.
When my daughter leaves for high school at around 6:45, that’s when I also hop in the car, heading for the gym. This works out really well for me.
But my daughter was sick one day recently and I started making excuses not to go to the gym at my usual time. She was parked behind me. It was especially cold…perhaps it would be better to go to the gym when the sun had actually come up and it was warmer.
Then I started making excuses not to stay home. The gym would be busy later on and I had a conflict that would keep me from going in the afternoon. I didn’t want to have to wait for a treadmill or struggle to find a parking place. It was then or never.
I’d basically talked myself into going. I never enjoy going to the gym, but I feel good after being there.
Every once in a while something will happen that will disrupt my morning writing routine, too. Writing is practically muscle memory at 5 a.m, but if I’m knocked off-track, it’s harder to drag myself back.
What helps the most is to make excuses not to check social media (or whatever else is to distract my attention away from writing). That’s actually pretty easy to do: I never feel better about life after checking Facebook. Or I know that I’m going to regret losing that 30 minutes on Twitter later instead of tackling all the tasks that are looming over me.
This is a very simple approach, but it works because I’m a pretty simple person.
For other posts on fitting writing into your day, check out:
How to Write When You Don’t Have Time by September C. Fawkes (a medley of ideas, including working smarter instead of harder)
Three Steps to Begin Tiny Habits to Help You Reach Your Goals by Lorna Faith (if it’s your fears that are holding you back)
Five Morning Habits to Add to Your Writing Routine by Emily Morgan (if you want to start writing in the mornings or if you want your morning writing habit to be more consistent)
Six Simple Tips to Create Daily Writing Habits by Pamela Hodges (an article that focuses especially on the fact that small goals can help us be more productive…a philosophy that I ascribe to)
How do you make sure that you knock out your writing? Do you ever have to talk yourself into writing?
Making Excuses to Write: Click To TweetPhoto on VisualHunt.com
I wouldn’t say I talk myself into it. Badger, berate, command, order… ‘Get your butt up and go work already’ usually works.
I totally get that whole thing about getting off track. It’s easier to get my stuffs done if I stick to some kind of schedule, and it’s really hard to get back to the schedule if I fall off. Last week was my week off. We’ll see how getting back into the groove goes today.
Whatever works, ha! Good luck getting back on schedule today. :)
I have to talk myself into going to the gym every day as well. Actually, it’s habit to go, I just have to motivate myself once I’m there to do something.
Considering how much trouble I have composing a single line of comment on a blog post before eight in the morning, I don’t think that’s my top writing time.
Yeah, I just hate going to the Y. And now I’m about to try something new…swimming a couple of times a week. I don’t think that treadmill is great for my knees. Trying something new is hard.
I remember that you’re a night owl!
People really are capable of talking themselves into (and out of) just about anything, Elizabeth, aren’t they? It’s the power of our minds, and I like your idea of using that power to get things accomplished. I know just what you mean about the gym, too. I tend to go early, and I’m always glad I went.
I just came back and feel glad I went. But it didn’t seem very appealing on a rainy Monday morning. :) Have a great week!
No one feels better after checking Facebook. I need some excuses to write these days.
Wish I could leave FB, but unfortunately I’m stuck (too good for promo, a way to connect with some family members, and the groups I’m in are too good).
Hope you pick back up with your writing! I know it’s tough–being a publisher takes up most of your time.
It’s so easy to get caught up in social media, especially when I’m tired or not feeling energetic, but it’s so important to set time limits for it!
And a timer helps remind us when that time limit is up, ha! Otherwise, I might not even look at the clock…
Hi Elizabeth – it’s being disciplined … as you are – yet it’s so easy to waste time … and I must knuckle under … even if I’m in another situation … I could easily do little. So I’m off to get on – need to clean!! + Need to get back into the habit of exercising – it’s getting warmer and that might make it easier! Cheers Hilary
We all have something to be working on (or avoiding, ha!) This same principle can be applied to taxes, promo, blogging, etc. Hope you have a great weekend!