I’ve had several people ask me lately about my daily writing routine, and since it’s a topic I love to talk about (you know, because I’m all about routines!), I thought I’d share some insights with you. My theory is that a writing practice needs routine, because routine remind your brain what you are there to do.
Here are a few of the routines that work for me:
Declutter Your Counters to Declutter Your Mind
This may be my Triple Type A personality talking, but I find there’s a direct correlation between my work environment and my creativity and productivity. Clutter – on my desk, the coffee table, or the kitchen counters – distracts me and produces low-level agitation. One of the first things I do in the morning is clear surfaces – I put the dishes in the dishwasher, wipe down the counters, gather up errant books and papers, arrange the sofa cushions, and stash the remotes in a drawer. My house isn’t necessarily clean, but at least it’s clutter-free, which helps me focus on my work for the day.
Exercise to Get Your Creative Synapses Firing
Most mornings I run four miles, the same distance and the same route I’ve been running for the last 15 years (See? I really like routines). Running is good for my mental health, and it’s good for my creativity (and it’s not just me…read this article about the connection between exercise and creativity). I often work out a blog post or ruminate on a verse for a devotion while I’m running. In the past I ran without headphones, but lately I’ve fallen hard for podcasts, so I often listen to one of my favorites. It helps me forget about my achy legs or the stich in my side, and I’ll often get an idea for a blog post or article from the show I’m listening to.
Treat Your Writing Like a Job
Because it is! After my house is decluttered, my run is done, and I’m showered, dressed and sitting at my writing desk (by now it’s about 9:30 a.m.), I don’t let anything get in the way of my job. This means I don’t do housework between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. I also don’t run errands, schedule appointments (if I can help it), Vox, text friends or even answer the phone (unless it’s my mother…and sometimes not even then). To be honest, I rarely meet people for coffee or lunch during these hours, especially when I am working on a book. I have a five-hour work day, so I try to make the most of every minute.
Dedicate a Specific Amount of Time to Email and Social Media
When I first sit down at my desk in the morning, I glance at my emails and reply to those that need only a quick response (I save longer, more detailed emails for late afternoons or evenings). I also check in on Facebook and Twitter, and, if I have a blog post up that day, I’ll link to it from my various social media accounts. I admit, this is dangerous ground. Social media is my Charybdis, so I have to be super vigilant about not getting sucked into the vortex for too long. I typically spend a half hour with email and social media before I get down to serious business. Then I turn off all notifications (too distracting!) and dig in.
Eat the Frog First
As Mark Twain said, “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” I always start my work day with the project I most want to procrastinate. If I’m writing a book, I definitely start with book writing, because it’s the most important, and it’s also the most difficult. My goal when I’m book-writing is to write 1,000 words a day, and I’m not a super-fast writer, so 1,000 words can easily take me three or four hours. The biggest, dreadiest projects require the most brain power, and if I procrastinate, I’m typically too depleted later to be very effective or productive. Plus, it feels good at the end of the day to know that I’ve made progress on a hard thing.
Do Lighter Work Later
I do what I consider my “lighter” work – the work that typically requires less brain power, like editing, proofreading, blog post writing, marketing and promotions, social media, and responding to emails – later in the afternoon, usually after lunch and definitely after I’ve eaten the frog. I also try to use the time waiting in the school pick-up line wisely, by either decompressing, reading, or catching up on Voxers, texts and phone calls.
And one final note that’s more observation than routine…
You Fill What Time You Have
My boys are now in high school and middle school (hold me), and are gone from 7:30 a.m. until 3 p.m., so I have the luxury of a big block of time and a quiet house. I don’t take that for granted, but I will say this: you fill what time you have. Honestly, I got nearly as much writing done when I worked part-time outside the home and had young children. I had less time overall to devote to my writing, but I was more efficient with the time I did have. I have more time now, but I don’t necessarily get more done.
So tell me…what’s one routine you swear by (and it doesn’t have to be a writing routine)?
Post-its for the neurotic, blank screen, writer’s block demon: “Write every day, without hope or despair.” “Feel the fear and do it anyway.”
Those are good, Susan!
I have two routines that help me. First, exercise in the morning. It wakes me up and I feel ready for the day. Second, laundry schedule. I know what laundry will be done each day. I avoid huge piles (hate them) . I also avoid laundry on Sunday.
Ug, the laundry – bane of my existence! I have a similar routine – laundry twice/week, and I, too, avoid doing it on Sunday.
Routine, as a writer, is everything, Michelle! No, I’m not working on more books, yet, but I’ve found I have to schedule myself in order to make the blog happen. And you’re so right about exercise – when I go to the gym in the morning, my day is always more productive, creatively and otherwise. We do need to analyze our rhythms and play them out the way God gives them to us.
More power to you, and thanks for this inspiring reminder today!
Exercise is so key – not only to the creative process, but, like you said, to productivity in general. I never actually WANT to run. But I’m always, always glad when I do (when it’s done).
I’m all about the process so I group my tasks by type – phone calls, e-mails, out of the house trips, etc. I can take care of a bunch of them at a time or schedule trips in a more efficient order. And, I schedule social time on one day of the week so friends learn that just because I’m home doesn’t mean I’m free to hang out.
That is SO good, Linda – I love the idea of grouping tasks by type. I hate making phone calls, for some odd reason, so it would be good to get them all done at once. Thanks for the tip!
Everything you wrote is true. My “one thing” is making the bed. That’s sort of my this where I draw the line…if all else fails, I will have a made bed to lie in at the end of the day…lol. But this year my writing has taken a GIANT dip due to supporting my Mom’s battle with esophageal cancer. The thing I have struggled with most is the fact that my “routines” have all been thrown to the wind…it’s a season I understand, and all but it has me hankering for a normalcy, routine that has been lacking. Anyway, thanks for the inspiration, reminders and encouragement.
That’s a really good point, Dawn: routines are seasonal, and they change as our lives change. I am so sorry to hear about your mom’s battle with cancer. I will be praying for her and for you, too, as you care for her.
I so connect to number 1, declutter your counters. I have to have a clean kitchen, bed made, shower taken, and clutter minimized for me to be able to focus on my writing tasks. The other things I do is focus on just writing related stuff during the precious time I have alone in the house several times a week. A cup of tea is one of my luxuries and rewards for writing.
I, too, (and like Dawn above), have to make my bed every day. That’s a definite. And I love your point about working in a little reward. Mine is a square of Trader Joe’s dark chocolate, usually in the late afternoon. It’s kind of become a habit – my body anticipates the little pick-me-up every day. 🙂
Michelle, this entire list has been tremendously helpful! Thank you for explaining why decluttering is a good first step for my work day. I will do it first now daily without guilt. My routine is in the evening–I never skip a few minutes of self-care before bedtime and it’s become a wonderful way to decompress and relax.
I just listened to a podcast (The Simple Life, with Tsh Oxenreider) that talked about the importance of an evening self-care routine. SUCH a good idea, especially if you struggle with sleep issues (like I do).
Thanks for this! I still have kids in preschool, so the daily window of opportunity is small, and when it does appear, I forget what needs to get done first. I think switching out “social media time” with swallow the frog will help. God bless you!
I love this, Michelle. Thank you so much for sharing. I feel totally stuck in the “work” part of the creative process, in part because of a lack of discipline. These tips are doable. Filing it away!
Make my bed in the morning as soon as I get out of it.
Michelle, I’m late to your blog, but I recalled the topic and really wanted to go back to read. I can’t tell you how helpful this is. As you know, I’ve not written regularly for a very long time, but as I sense this God may be resurrecting this in my life, I realize I will need to guard my time (from myself mostly–that filling up the time thing you mentioned) and become far more disciplined. I am seeing my soul scattered in papers and books and I am not happy w/ myself about that… and it’s so confusing. This has inspired me to go clear paper clutter. I don’t like to run, but I love brisk walking. and I hope to add a little hiking to the mix, in anticipation of a trip where it will be required. Do you eat breakfast? Just curious. I know I should, but can’t seem to. Gives me a tummy ache almost every time. And I am so torn about email and social media. I really DO get totally sucked in, every time. I’m going to send you a link for a neat evening routine I read from a bloggers whose writing I love. I thkink you will find it inspiring, and I’ll put it here, so your other readers can enjoy, too. Love you so much, and your care for your readers.
Lynn
“Lighter work later ” works for me too. Have you read Cal Newport’s book – Deep Work – it’s all about this concept. Deep work and shallow work – gave me the framework to discern what to do when. Fun to watch you present this material live on facebook the other day. You are good “live” Hope to watch more of you.
Hye Michelle,
I like your outline of a productive day. I am searching for routines and what I am seeing is that as a fairly recent retiree I am not able to settle into any routines of my own. I still let others take the lead, I don’t know how to say NO or even Not Now. It’s like I’m waiting for the next phone call or knock at the door, and of course the next comment on social media. Now that I’m not working I no longer own my life, which is an oxi moron, as having a job means a boss owns my life. I have decided I have to simplify my life and the way you talk about creativity as ‘my work’ is very inspiring. My 16 yr old Shih Tzu died in July and that seems to have knocked me off my pins. We were together all the time, she was my only companion and as little as I did before this event, it has gotten worse, feels like life is all confusion now. I’m fostering another little dog so I continue to get my daily walking in, I had to do something to get back at it. I’ve recently recognized a pattern of being available to anyone at any time and take no care of myself, this causes all my own projects to become procrastinations just by ignoring them for these distractions.
My heart goes out to you, Meg. Retirement is a huge transition that takes a good long time to adjust to. In some ways, I can relate. When I left my traditional office job four years ago, I felt really unmoored, and it took several months for me to get a structure in place that gave some definition to my day. So many of us are defined by what we do, when we don’t do that thing anymore, we find ourselves in the midst of an identity crisis. I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet dog, too. My Josie is my constant companion, and so I totally understand how completely undone you were by that huge loss. I do think you will find your way, but as you said, I think the first step is probably looking inside yourself to discover what your deep desires and dreams are for this season of your life, and then saying no to the distractions that prohibit you from pursuing those dreams. Good luck…I’ll be thinking of you…