One of the constant challenges that many of us face daily is the fact that we feel as if we’re too busy to do much writing, much less publish what we want to write!
I’m like you and am in exactly the same boat as most of my day is spent working with my teams and managing the many responsibilities of a husband and father.
And if I’m even more like you then my calendar is just as jam packed as it’s ever been with meetings, lunches, coffee appointments, and general travel that seems to be sucking the wind out of any of the left-over time to write.
How, then, are we to continue to pump out great content and write what’s on our hearts, minds, and souls and be able to publish it publicly for those that are anxiously awaiting our thoughts?
Ah, you’re methods are most likely as good as mine at this point! But, there are a few things that I’ve been able to do consistently over the last 10+ years of blogging that you may be able to work with:
1. Think Incomplete
One of the things that I am comfortable with is thinking “more short” about my content and less about the complete picture of a blog post. In other words, I’m very comfortable about writing in fragmented ideas and less inclined to feel the pressure of putting incomplete thoughts or sentences down as I work through my day.
Although I do have dedicated time to write in the morning that doesn’t mean that I necessarily complete all of it at that time – sometimes I just have to write a few things down during different periods of the day and be ok with that.
For example, I may jot down in my writing app or notebook just one sentence and feel completely fine with that, even though it’s not nearly a completed blog post. Over the course of the day I’m working towards completion but I won’t let the idea of an incomplete blog post stop me from writing.
2. Think Shortcuts
There are things that I do to shortcut my publication efforts every single day from the applications that I use to the time that I have to spend writing. I’m always thinking of a better and more effective and efficient way of writing.
What I’ve realized is that most people do not think about spending time looking at their publication workflow or methods and seeing if there are, in fact, shortcut opportunities!
Here’s a very simple test: When was the last time you sat down and explicitly mapped out your workflow and looked for opportunities to improve your writing process?
See? You’re guilty of not optimizing your workflow! A shortcut isn’t a bad thing and does not necessarily mean lower quality. It’s just a shortcut. Nothing more.
3. Think Community
Writing is an incredibly individualistic endeavor and this isn’t ever really going to change! But the fact is that it can feel less lonely when you engage with others and bring them into the process of writing (for your sake and theirs!).
What would it look like if you asked someone to partner with you for your writing efforts? What would it look like if you asked for some help with your publishing goals? What would it look like if you had someone that was keeping you accountable for your future publishing career?
I can tell you what it would look like: It would look entirely different than what you have today and that might make all the difference.
Number 3 is huge for us and the salvation of Geekfori! I need Moe and KC big time.
Now to decide wether or not we have comments on.
I do the same thing with writing incomplete. I have my planner open all the time and when I get an idea, I jot down notes. Sometimes it’s just the topic. Sometimes it’s the opening paragraph. Sometimes I have to go to my computer and sketch it out – just depends on what popped into my head. Then when I sit down for “writing time” – I have a bunch of things that are in process. It’s so much easier to just pick one and finish it. I hadn’t thought about it as an effective time saving strategy but it definitely is!
Enjoyed the article. Always helpful to know how others work.
John, A great shortcut I’ve found is ShortcutBlogging.com. It’s perfect for the busy executive or the expert who just can’t seem to pry-bar writing time into their schedule.
Great insight! I’m working through the process of learning to incorporate #1. I’ve got Evernote open on my computer at all times and also have a paper notebook in my backpack if my iPhone isn’t handy. I’ll even record a voice message and email it to myself.
#2 is more of a challenge for me and I’m trying to identify more keyboard and application shortcuts. Right now images slow me down the most.
Agree with the Evernote idea. I have it synced on my phone and computer, as I rarely have a solid couple of hours to focus on writing as I look after my kids during the day. I do get multiple 15 minute slots during the day though, so I write a bit on Evernote on my phone, sync it, and so when I do sit down in the evenings I have the main meat of a couple of thousand word post ready to edit!