I’ve shared that I’m building the habit of writing for 30 minutes a day.
I set my timer for 30 minutes (I’m actually using an app called Tide to play background noise for this 30-minute focus). Then I write.
This habit is easier to stick with when I allow myself to have a flexible sense of “write.” Here’s what I mean:
On some days, I’m feeling like I’ve got enough to say to fill up a blank page.
On other days, I’m feeling drained, and I don’t want to try pouring anything out. On those drained days, it’s nice to be able to open up a draft I’ve already written. It takes less energy – or maybe just a different kind of energy – to grapple with a rough draft and bring it closer to a publishable version.
And on some days, all I feel like doing is moving my drafts in Google Docs over to WordPress and getting them ready for the Publish button. Hey, that’s still a part of writing. So I count it as part of my writing habit.
The important thing, though, is that I show up for that 30 minutes every day (I admit: I’ve missed a few days). Showing up for the 30 minutes lets me build a stockpile of drafts to work with when I’m feeling drained. Having that stockpile of drafts to work with makes it easier to publish regularly, regardless of the moods I’m in and whether I feel like writing or not.
If there’s anything that you’re wanting to work on, do yourself a favor and hit it for 30 minutes and then leave it alone, regardless of how far you get. Go back to it the next day, regardless of how you feel. You’ll make gains over time.