Writing has been an up and down journey for me. Sometimes I feel like I can write for hours, then all of a sudden I don’t want to write for months. At the start, I would just write when I wanted too, then put down my book for months and even years. I always told myself, I’m gonna finish this book, this story, this page. Though, that never happened. It wasn’t about my lack of words but I didn’t know when to write. In the day, evening, night. When did I have time to sit down and stare at my screen? This is where I thought I needed a roadmap. As for any journey, it’s best to map things out. I knew I wanted to make writing an everyday part of my life, I just needed the time to make that happen. Here’s some tips for you to have more discipline and consistency when it comes to your writing.
- Goals
What are you writing?Why are you writing this? How many words? When do you want to finish this piece of writing? These questions will start to give you a clear sense on where you are heading with your writing. What is the overall goal? His goal will be the light at the end of the tunnel, the decision after your road trip, you get it. This goal is what motivates you to take action. Start off with setting goals. The clearer the better.
- Time
We live busy lives. Some people think they don’t even have time to write and trust me I thought the same thing. How long you want to write is totally up to you, though keep your goals in mind when setting this time. When setting a new habit into your routine, a tip I would give you is to start small. 5 mins is just a start, if you feel like you want to write more, you can simply write more. Imagine you start with a new habit and say I’m gonna write for three hours starting tomorrow. When tomorrow comes you might say you are too busy, you don’t have three hours. Then you would keep pushing it off. Start small and work your way up.
- Space
We are built on routines and habits. We go to the bathroom to brush our teeth, go to the kitchen to eat breakfast. Where do you go to write? This space shouldnt contain any distractions from your writing- whether it’s a corner in your home, a library, or a cafe. It must be a certain place where you are ready to write. Now not everyone can change their physical space. They could be at work, sitting in the car during lunch, etc. Now there are other ways for you to still envision a space for your writing. Music is one of the easiest ways to change your internal space. Put on an instrumental, you’ll put this on everytime you will start to write and this allows your mind to build the habit of what comes next. That will be your space.
- Support
Find a mentor or someone you can confide in with your writing. Share your writing goals and routine with them and they can hold you accountable by expecting your updates with your writing, this adds a layer of accountability to keep you focused on your writing journey.
- Milestones
Now that you have decided to start on this road, you’ll need to realize it’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be short. Someday might be great, others not so much. Take some time to reflect on how far you have come. You wrote 100 words, 1000 words, or even 20000! Celebrate your wins, no matter how small. No matter if you think you could have done more. No matter if you think your writing sucks. You started and kept going and that’s one of the hardest steps. Give yourself a little pat on the back to celebrate your milestones. This will make the journey worthwhile!
Building a writing routine that will work perfectly for you will have many trial and errors. Keep track of what works and what doesn’t. Reflect on the process and make your adjustments. Don’t forget to have fun and let the creativity flow. Consistency is key, work towards your goal each and every day. Soon enough, you finally reach your destination.