It feels like way too long since I wrote a blog for this page. I have been writing plenty for other people which I love to do but I have neglected to write one for myself and my own audience.
Did you know that at the time of writing this (5th August) it is Blogger Day so I felt that this was the perfect reason to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys!!).
I love to write. Whether it is a list or an essay (and as I made the decision last year to start studying for my degree I am writing a lot of those!!), a blog or an email, I find that once I get the first sentence down generally the words flow but I know many people who really struggle with it. So, I thought the perfect way to celebrate Blogger Day would be to share my top tips for making writing part of your regular routine:
- Schedule time – Rather than wait for a free hour to appear in your diary actively schedule the time. I often make the mistake of thinking to myself “I’ll write a blog if I have time once I’ve completed my to do list”. Spoiler alert: I never have the time or the inclination when I get to that point!! But, when I schedule the time, like I’ve done today, I really enjoy the process of writing. This is something I do with my essay writing as well. I’m really not good under pressure and so wouldn’t dream of trying to finish one with only hours to spare before the deadline. I make sure there is at least one hour every day allocated to preparing for and writing my essays. Decide how often you want a blog to appear on your website and schedule the time to make that happen. I know I need to take my own advice on this!!
- Make your writing space different to your usual working space – Personally I don’t really like writing at my desk. Instead I prefer to sit outside if the weather’s nice or at the very least move to a different place within my home. I find that this puts me in a different head space and often provides me with inspiration. I think this is because it stops the process of writing feeling like just another thing on my to do list.
- Remember that not everything you write needs to be seen by others – Sometimes the pressure of feeling like you have to write a blog for others to read or put together a newsletter to generate leads can suck the joy out of the writing experience. Instead write for yourself and decide later whether you want others to see it or not. My wonderful friend and business coach, Lindsey Burden is a massive fan of journaling and I believe she does this every morning. If you want to practise your writing before making the next step into publishing, journaling is a great start! Simply jot something down every morning whether it’s how you are feeling in that moment, what you dreamt about or how you’d like your day to pan out. It doesn’t have to be loads to get the juices flowing.
This list is as much a kick up the bum for me as it is for anyone else that may be reading, my last blog on this page was waaaaay back in March after all!! I can’t claim I haven’t had the time since, like the majority of the population, I’ve been mostly at home since lockdown started but does anyone else feel like lockdown has caused them to completely lose track of time? Anyway, I recognise that I must try harder and I definitely will. Happy Blogger Day everyone, now get writing!