Become a Pro at Writing Regularly

Building a consistent writing habit is something almost every writer dreams of, but let's be honest - it's one of the hardest things to do. Life just isn't like our books, and finding time to write between work, family, and the never-ending to-do list that plagues us even on a good day can make it feel impossible. 

But you already know this, so why am I telling you something that you already know? It's because I have a bit of good news to share. 

Writing consistently doesn't mean you have to follow all those social media authors with their tips and tricks for what they do to write consistently - it's not a one-size-fits-all hat. With a little bit of pre-planning, you can make writing a regular part of your life - without risking burning yourself out. 

Start Small and Manageable 

Building a consistent writing routine is not something you can jump into with both feet and expect to score a perfect dive. Aiming for too much too fast is the biggest mistake a writer can make. 

Going from writing 0 words to 2000 every single day? 

I can smell the burnout from here. 

Before you burn yourself and your story down to ashes, let's start with small, realistic goals, and then work our way up.

Instead of 2000 right out of the gate - can you try for 200? If that's too easy for you bump it up by 100 each week. When it becomes too much lower it back down and try raising it by 50 or even 25 if it's becoming overwhelming. 

Let's give ourselves a few easy wins, there aren't many other places in life where we can. 

Create Your Perfect Writing Environment (As Best You Can) 

Our surroundings have a big impact on our writing habits. 

Can't write because the desk is always messy? Is there always a pile of laundry on our writing chair stopping us from sitting down? 

If you have an area dedicated to writing, keep it dedicated to writing and clean to stop yourself from having the easy excuse of "I can't write with all the clothes in the way - I'd have to do laundry first."

Throw the clothes on the floor, write your words, and then pile them back on the chair if you must. 

For those of us who maybe aren't at the point to have a desk entirely for writing claim your writing spot as best as you can. A quiet corner of your home, a local coffee shop, or even your car during your lunch break are all perfect writing spots. 

Set Boundaries For Writing Time 

Much like your writing space is a space for writing, the best way to keep writing consistently - is to have a consistent time for writing. 

My family knows -  if my door is closed -  unless it is a dire emergency, I am unavailable (unless of course, they have a good excuse and a snack.) 

 Treat writing like an important business meeting with yourself. No checking your phone, answering emails, or doing anything else to take away from this important task with yourself. 

Set an alarm. Schedule it in your calendar. Make a sign for your door. 

It doesn't matter if you sit in your writing chair and don't manage to write a single word, you showed up to the meeting and that's the most important part. 

Embrace that Life Happens 

Life is messy and unpredictable, and in every sense of the word, it is far from perfect. 

Sometimes writing just doesn't fit into the day. Writing these articles hasn't fit into my day for a while now, but I made sure that I made the time to work on my novels when I could and used my time to the best of my ability. Consistency in writing doesn't mean that you will never miss a day. It means that even if you miss Tuesday, you're going to show up to write on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and so on and so on. 

Skipping one run won't set you back in your weight loss goal, and skipping one day of writing doesn't mean you won't finish your book. 

Don't let the guilt monster tell you that since you missed Friday you might as well wait till Monday to start writing again. Sit down on Saturday and pick up right where you left off. 

The goal is progress, not perfection. 

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Writing consistently doesn't mean holding yourself to a strict schedule where every moment of your writing time is scheduled down to the very second. 

It's about finding a rhythm that works for you and sticking with it, even when life tries to get in the way. 

Start small, create a routine that works with you, not against you, protect your writing time, and be understanding of yourself and you can build a sustainable consistent writing habit. 

Best of luck! 

With love, 

B- xoxo

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This story was originally posted on Medium.

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