This Crazy Simple Writing Routine Got Me Back on Track

The step-by-step guide to building a daily writing habit.

Being a full-time writer sounds glamorous, but it demands more work than you can imagine.

Unlike most conventional roles, writers don’t follow a fixed set of instructions to get their job done.

One of the most asked questions I get from writers is — “How to be consistent in writing?”

I understand where they’re coming from. It’s not easy to write every day if you keep waiting for inspiration to strike.

I’ve written 850+ articles in the past 3 years. People think I’m highly motivated because of my stats. But that’s not true.

I’m super lazy, and on most days, I wish I could lie in bed and “chill” all day. But as ambitious writers with bills to pay, that’s a luxury you and I can’t afford.

What you can do instead- build a writing routine that lets you meet your publishing goals without exhausting yourself.

Your routine should keep you consistent without compromising on your life outside work. This article discusses how you can achieve that with a crazy simple writing routine that helps me publish 15+ articles every month.

Fix a date with your craft every day 

The biggest struggle of being self-employed is mustering the discipline to show up every day. Procrastination often creeps in and makes it challenging.

I suffered from the same in my early writing career. I used to write only when I felt like writing because I was chasing perfection.

I thought that’s the way creativity works, and I couldn’t write until I got a perfect idea. I only wanted to create content that gets me a tangible result and increase my followers.

I’d attached myself so much to the outcome that I felt almost paralyzed to write anything.

Soon, I realized wasting time on something that’s not in my hands is not worth it. As a writer, my focus must be more on the writing process than on the outcome that my content would create.

I planned to get over this perfection mindset and write every day without procrastination by following 4 simple steps:

• Decide the specific number of articles you want to publish in a month
• Create a dedicated “writing nook” in your house
• Try to keep your workstation away from your bedroom
• Set aside a fixed time to write every day without any distraction

Every once in a while, you can head to a co-working space or a cafe to write. If nothing else works, sit outside in the sun and let nature be your muse.

Put your heart into the pre-writing rituals

If 50% of my work includes writing, the other 50% consists of thinking, organizing notes, and structuring my content.

But we all have those days when finding motivation feels like a distant dream. On those days, staring at a blank page becomes the source of all your creative block-related woes.

The passion soon starts transforming into frustration and doubts. I’ve been there, so I can understand.

How to make sure this never happens again?

Start an idea journal by following these simple steps:

1. Write 10 random ideas that you’d love to work on
2. Pick any 2 of these ideas and outline them in detail
3. Do this every day before turning on your laptop.

Quotes or snippets from the books I read or the movies I watch also find their way into my idea journal. I use them in my content wherever relevant to add a unique touch.

With these steps, I always have a basic template ready for my articles.

This preparatory exercise of ideating saves my time and creative energy. Doing this before diving into your writing routine will warm up your idea muscle. This will also create a pool of unique and personalized ideas you can rely upon.

Keep the editing hat for later

This is an underrated rule writers often forget to follow.

Writing and editing are two different tasks, and doing them together puts you at risk of losing your creative flow.

When you pause to perfect every sentence you write, it never takes you ahead. You get lost in circles and end up doing nothing.

For the longest time, I assumed I could write the best content in one go. But in reality, I got stuck in the most counterproductive loop.

How did I get over it?

I made some rules to make the most of my writing routine:

• Write the complete first draft
• Don’t care too much about the Grammar, punctuation, or any other error
• Sleep on it
• Come back to edit it the next day or at least a few hours later.

Bonus hack: Use a text-to-voice free tool to read your article out loud. This provides an additional layer of proofreading and helps you avoid unnecessary mistakes. You must avoid judging your first draft to follow these rules and make the most of your writing routine.

The writing routine to keep you in touch with your goals

“Small disciplines repeated with consistency every day lead to great achievements gained slowly over time.” — John C. Maxwell.

Discipline is the key to becoming the writer you always dreamt of. There’s no shortcut to it. I’ve been able to run a successful writing business only because I chose discipline over motivation.

But it’s not something that I started with.

• I’ve had my share of mistakes,
• Faced imposter syndrome, and
• Writer’s block while beginning my writing journey.

I wanted to continue writing, so I devised a fail-proof routine that helps me create content consistently.

To sum up, the writing routine that got me back on track looks like this:

1. Make a non-negotiable writing schedule
2. Create a dedicated writing corner at your place
3. Fix a specific distraction-free time where you’ll only focus on writing
4. Show up at your workstation every day at the same time.
5. Ideate before you create
6. Begin your work by jotting down 10 ideas
7. Create detailed outlines for two of them every day
8. Collect quotes or phrases you find interesting to use in your content.
9. Avoid writing with editing simultaneously
10. Don’t stress over the formatting while creating the first draft
11. Finish your first draft without chasing perfection
12. Take a break before getting your hands on editing.

This strategic yet easy routine helped me write 850+ articles in the past 3 years. I hope it’ll help you do even better and surpass your writing goals.

Love writing but don’t know where to start? Join my FREE 5-day course. It’ll teach you the successful writer’s framework that took me 5 years to master.

More on achieving success in writing here — 

You’re Wasting Time Making These Side Hustle Mistakes

Decoding three common mistakes that could have bulldozed my dreams of becoming a writer.

medium.com

You Don’t Need These to Become A 6-Figure Online Creator

1 year from now, you can either have a career or you can have excuses: your pick.

medium.com

4 Non-Writing Habits That Helped Me Write 850 Articles In The Past 3 Years

How you can apply these to build a daily writing habit.

medium.com