Develop a Consistent Writing Habit
Developing a consistent writing habit is key to increasing productivity. Writing in the morning using the Morning Pages method can help overcome procrastination. Many people struggle to find time to practice, but writing in the early morning can help overcome this obstacle. It’s important to start writing rather than worrying about what to write. Beginning early in the day allows more time to write and complete work. Writing in the morning is rewarding and can also help overcome procrastination. Consistent writing allows for reflection and growth over time. The things that we learn are the things that we repeat. We need time to practice the craft to improve writing on any other activity. So, I made note-writing a deliberate practice.
A way to make writing part of a deliberate practice routine is by incorporating the craft into everything we do. After all, writing can help drop bias; without exposing our thoughts on paper or screen, we won’t be able to confirm the content’s validity. A blank page reflects your thoughts, and when your ideas are unclear, your words on the page will be, too.
Have you heard of a Writing Sprint? Well, there is also a similar concept called a Writing Marathon. Depending on the duration, there are different types of sprints for writing. Yet, the marathon should focus on the output. I won’t prescribe a specific word count to complete, but at least double the word count from the previous day. Are you tracking your words per writing project? If so, there are two different ways to approach a marathon: doubling the last day’s word count or focusing on writing 10k words. If you measure your output daily, this method will work for you. Yet, most writers have excellent time management skills to understand their output relative to time. If that’s not the case, the alternative is to focus on a specific word count. Some suggest 5k words a day, while others offer more. The 10k count is arbitrary, and there’s nothing special about it. A Writing Marathon is a great way to challenge yourself and achieve your writing goals. If you can reach the 10k mark, you can publish a book monthly!
Expanding writing projects also helps develop content, understanding, and practice. Writing 2k words around a specific topic can be exhausting, so growing writing projects may be more complex. Although daunting, writing 10k words in a day is a goal worth pursuing. Daily note-making and expanding writing projects are the best approaches to achieve this. With intense focus, you can gain more insight by making sense of the notes you already have.
[¹]: 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love
