Are You a Productive Writer?

By Marilyn Forsyth

Am I a Productive Writer? 

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Short answer: NO.

It’s why I’ve been researching articles that outline simple steps used by ‘Super Productive People’ to be…well, productive; developing habits like rising early, planning each day, incorporating exercise, etc. So, if what I've read is right, that something like 40% of our daily actions are driven by our habits, then it should be doable to create a new daily routine incorporating these steps, right?

To that end, I’ve taken a few of these suggested habits and looked into how I might actually do just that.

1.     Plan Your Day the Night Before

Knowing what your goals are for the day gets the ball rolling straight away in the morning. Setting 3 goals is manageable - you can always do more. Be sure to prioritise your writing.

Makes sense.

2.     Get Up Earlier

Gives you more time (everyone’s most limited resource) in the day. Works best by being consistent with a wake-up time. Might mean going to bed a bit earlier to get 7-9 hours’ sleep.

I can do that.

3.     Tackle Your (Writing) Goals First Thing

Skip the emails, social media and other distractions and get straight to work when your energy is at its highest.

Hmm. I’m not really a morning person; I’ve found my creative energy peaks later in the day so I do my social media stuff when I first get up. Might be worth a try if I’m going to commit to this, though. (Unfortunately, scrolling is not productive.)

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4.     Create ‘Office Hours’ (for social media/email interactions)

Social media sucks so much time. Set a hard limit for time spent on it.

Good idea. I really do need to do this if I want to get more done.

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5.     Do NOT Multitask

Do one task at a time and see it through to completion.

Oh crikey! Is that even possible??

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6.     Schedule Breaks

Get out of that chair! Not only does it give your eyes a rest but 20 minutes of exercise a day is good for your health and general well-being. And always have a glass of water handy.

I’ll see how I go with this. When I’m in the zone I find it hard to take time out.

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7.     Perfection is Unrealistic

Yes, we all want our work to be the best it can be, but don’t give in to the temptation of constantly revising and tweaking your writing. Set a time limit to finish your final edit and stick to it.

I’m already working hard on this as I am a bit of a perfectionist.

8.     Outsource

I wish! Realistically, unless you’re making money from your writing, this isn’t an option for most of us.

It’s obvious that just because these ‘habits’ work for other people, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll work for me and, reading back over this, I’ve realised I’m not going to be able to incorporate all the ‘habits’ (at one time) to increase my productivity.

So, maybe I’ll start with one. What’s that old saying? The longest journey begins with the first step? Wish me luck!

Love to Love: my new lifestyle. Living in an apartment in the city is fantastic!

Love to Laugh: at the Graham Norton Show. Love his interviewing technique. 😂

Love to Learn: anything and everything about ancient Egypt, which is why I bought tickets to the Horizon of Khufu experience. It was sensational! Here’s the link if you’d like to know more: Horizon of Khufu | Sydney Olympic Park