I Learned to Write More in Less Time — My Productivity Hack
By implementing a few simple strategies, I was able to write more in less time and achieve a sense of accomplishment I never thought possible.
As a writer, I often struggle with managing my time effectively. I have found myself staying at a blank page for hours, unable to mustard the focus to write a single sentence. This happened due to multiple reasons.
Sometimes it’s personal reasons and sometimes, it’s because of environmental factors.
I produce less:
When I am emotionally drained and can’t find the energy to write.
Sometimes, I am distracted due to multiple tasks under my belt. When I work on one, another task pops up, and I get distracted.
Environmental factors also affect my writing potential.
Sometimes, when things are not arranged in my mind I can’t get an idea, of how to proceed and where to start.
It’s the most disturbing part of a writer’s life — not being productive at what he/she loves to do. Every problem comes with a solution. I discover solutions for my problems. I know, being a writer, you too, want to be productive at your work so let me share what helps me in my productivity journey in writing.
By implementing a few simple strategies, I was able to write more in less time and achieve a sense of accomplishment I never thought possible.
Let’s get into it!
1st Strategy
I have always enjoyed writing a diary. However, I never used to write personal things in it. I often jot down my opinions on subjective matters. I’ve always had a fondness for stationery. I enjoyed buying stationery when I was a little girl, and I still do now. I enjoyed buying books, journals, diaries, sketchbooks, etc.
One day I was dealing with writing challenges. I was thinking about what task I should deal with first. I took my little journal and a make schedule and that was my most productive day.
I realize how beneficial journaling is. There are thousands of proven benefits of journaling, one of which is that it increases productivity.
Now, I always create a writing schedule and stick to it. I commit for a set amount of time.
It didn’t matter if I wrote a lot or a little — the key was to show up and put words on paper. However, mostly I could manage to write a greater number.
2nd Strategy
Distraction is the biggest enemy of a writer. It can change your productivity game in a minute, at least it affects me a lot.
There is a concept in the medical field to cure the disease, deal with the root cause.
Yes, I follow the exact strategy. I learned to manage distractions.
Here is how I deal with distractions.
I keep my phone aside while writing or if I use it, it is just for writing assistance e.g., searching.
I do not use social media at all because when you open a social media app, you unknowingly waste a lot of time.
I also developed a pre-writing routine to signal to my brain that it was time to focus — a cup of tea, a few deep breaths, and a quick review of my goals.
There are several other tricks and tips that I follow to boost my productivity. I already talked about them in my previous posts. These two strategies are boosters to my productivity at writing and enable me to write more in less time.
Because it makes me able to:
Write with a relaxed mind being more focused on my current task.
Makes me more creative; thus, I freely generate ideas.
Lessen my frustration about writing goals.
Saved me a lot of time by being less distracted.
Wrapping it Up
The results are astonishing. I find myself writing more efficiently, producing higher-quality work, and enjoying the process more than ever before. I learned that productivity isn’t about writing for hours on end, but about working smarter, not harder.
© Mahnoor Chaudhry 🌷