If you, like me, work full time and write in your spare time, you may wish you could become a more productive writer. If that is the case, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll go through some of my best tricks for increasing productivity.
I have read countless books on productivity. The subject interest me both professionally as a Growth Marketer and as a writer. Over the years I have tried different techniques and here are my favorites.
5 ways to be more productive as a writer
- Make sure you have a morning routine that includes writing.
- Analyze and measure your writing.
- Remove the distractions.
- Use the pomodora method.
- Exercise regularly.
A productive start to the day
Many books I’ve read, such as 5000 Words Per Hour and Atomic Habits, talk about using the morning hours to do things that are important to you. Do something that matters, that you prioritize. The same is true if you want to create a Power Hour.
Why the mornings? Because the rest of the world is asleep and no one is going to disturb you or get your attention away from what you want to do. And if you’re a morning person like me, your mind works best at in the morning. In order to be more productive, I get up an hour earlier than before. I write for an hour, write morning pages and meditate for 15 minutes. Then I put makeup on get ready for my regular job. By starting the day writing and doing things that are important to me I feel accomplished and feel proud, like I’ve made progress.
Measure how much you write
Being someone who works data-driven on a daily basis, I have brought the data-driven approach into my writing. Right now I’m writing a romance novel that I want to try to finish in less than four months. This means that I need to write quite fast to get the editing done before I send the manuscript off to my editor.
“A great way to increase writing productivity is to set a goal and then make it public so others can hold us accountable.”
Kristen Lamb
To make sure I write as much as I need to in order to meet my deadlines, I fill out a Googlesheet after each writing session. If you’re interested in trying it out, you can download an e-book on productivity where I’ve linked the sheet.
The best thing about measuring how much I write each day is that it gives me proof that I’m making progress.
Habits that promote productivity
Some habits that have really helped me become more productive and focused:
- Exercise regularly (preferably varied workouts like running, tabata and yoga)
- Meditating 10-15 minutes a day
- Writing morning pages or journaling
- Always turning off notifications when I want to focus.
Healthy habits like exercise, meditation, walking are essential if you want a long-term writing career. Writing is lonely and you are, most of the time, sitting still in front of a computer. Therefore, I believe that you should take care of your body and mind if you want to be as productive as possible. Think about the habits you have or want to have that make you feel good. I recommend the books Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy if you want to learn more about how habits benefit us in the long run.
What are your best productivity tips? Please leave a comment and tell me how you stay productive or suggest what you would like me to write about next.
