I’ve been writing and publishing an essay a week for 15 years. Sometimes the essay is inspired and just flows out. Other times, it’s a grind to get it written and out the door.
But my weekly letter about coworking and community is a non-negotiable for me, and it’s the cornerstone of my content strategy.
So I don’t rely on inspiration, I rely on routine.
Here are 10 things I’ve learned to help create and maintain a writing routine. If you’re working to be more consistent, give these a try:
1. Determine your best writing times.
2. Schedule those times in your calendar and guard them.
3. Organize your writing todos ahead of time. Know what you’re working on so you don’t sit down and start brainstorming. That’s for another time.
4. Stay fresh and focused with 25-minute work sprints.
5. Take breaks between sprints.
6. Make your writing space comfortable.
7. Stay ahead of deadlines. Rushed writing is never as good as it could be.
8. Capture ideas when you have them and flesh them out later. I dump ideas into a notes app then move the best ones to my “Essays” doc later.
9. Embrace the ups and downs of inspiration and write when it’s time to write. Writing is a practice.
10. Hit publish and keep moving. Not everything you write will be brilliant. But the creation of a body of work over time will come to define you, your perspective, your vision, your values, and your vibe.
P.S. If you run a community-focused coworking space, come see we’re building in the Coworking Creators Lab.
