Do you ever get to the end of the day and feel you have not
got as much done as you had hoped? There are two main reasons for this:
- You have planned to do more than is actually possible – in
other words your goals are unrealistic.
- You are not using your time wisely – that is to achieve your
goals.
This second reason is why many people achieve less than they
are capable of. Do these sound familiar – I’ll just check and reply to my
emails, a quick game of Solitaire will start the mind working, I'm at home so
I’ll get the washing on and have a quick tidy up, I must watch this episode of
my favourite soap, I'm not sure which task to work on first, I'm blocked – and
I'm sure you can add your own. By the time you've completed all of these really
important tasks there is no time left for writing.
Here are some quick and easy tips to help you make better
use of your time and get more done.
1) Set realistic daily goals – 1000 words written, an article
edited and sent to a magazine, write a blog post, send a tweet, outline a new
book, and/or complete a character profile. Note that these are achievable daily
goals, number of goals will be dependent on the time you devote to your writing
activities. If you write full-time you may decide you are able to or need to
write 4000 words, if this is the case you will find it beneficial to set your
goals as 4 times 1000 words because ticking tasks off your list can be
motivational whereas not achieving your goals can be demotivating. Set up your
daily goals for the week ahead as you then have a clear idea of what you are
doing each day and can also ensure you have allocated enough time to hit
deadlines.
2) Track progress – for large projects, such as a book, create
a chart or written record of your progress. You can use a count up and/or
countdown approach. If you are writing a book that you plan to be 120,000 words
have two columns, one headed target - 120,000, the other headed completed - 0.
Each day subtract that day’s word count from the target and also add it to the
completed column. For small projects create categories e.g. short story, blog
post, and/or article. Keep a similar record of word count and number of
stories/articles/posts. You may also set a target word count or number of
completed projects for each category.
3) Plan non-writing tasks around your writing (not the other
way round) – many part-time writers try to find time to write when all other
tasks are completed. If you do this the likelihood of you creating any time at
all is small. There will be things in your day that you have to do such as
going to work – plot these into your day and then plan your writing slots –
everything else can get done when you have achieved your daily writing goals.
4) Set specific times to check and respond to emails and phone
calls - if your email programme says you have mail you do not have to read it.
If your phone rings you do not have to answer it. Set up an auto respond
message for your email if you feel you need one – something along the lines of
I will respond to your email within 24 hours. Also set up a message for your
phone. Check emails and phone calls at a set time each day and respond to them
at this point. If you need to spend time researching information or completing
a task before replying then plot this into your day.
5) Turn off your Internet and delete any computer games – the
amount of time that disappears into a black home as you surf or play is
astronomical. Plan when you are going to use the Internet, set a time limit,
and focus on any Internet tasks to need to complete whether research or
shopping. Of course you can have fun either playing games or surfing the net
however do not let this impinge on your writing time – do it after you have
completed your writing goals.
Take this approach for the next month, this allows time for
good habits to form, and you will notice an increase in productivity and you
will start to realise your goals and dreams.
Happy writing.
