Excellent interpersonal skills are essential to building a successful business. Communication is how we connect in everything we do in our personal lives and in everything pertaining to running a business.
However, these soft skills are lacking among many business employees. The inability for a business to communicate effectively internally and externally lead to average results.
And, surprisingly, over 70% of adults can’t read past the 4th grade level.
Disciplining yourself to write more on a daily basis will improve your skills, reading level, and productivity dramatically. You’ll also find that you’ll be able to articulate yourself better on paper and verbally.
So what’s your motivation? Are you looking to finally get started on (or finish) writing that novel you’ve pushed aside for years? Or maybe you’ve decided to dip your toes into freelance writing as a side hustle.
But even when you write for a living, finding a way to squeeze in the time to write is never easy.
Here are nine ways you can write more during your work day.
1. Carry a journal
We all want to write from a place of inspiration. But inspiration rarely happens during “working hours.” So you’ve got to be ready to capture those amazing ideas whenever and however they come.
Here are a few examples of what you can put in your journal:
- Subheadings for your articles
- Research points or important facts
- Character names, personality traits or a plot for your story
- Other details surrounding your work (no matter how big or small)
2. Write Before or After Work
We all have busy lives. It seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day. But the truth is…there surely are! You have the same amount of time in your day as Bill Gates. Think about that for a moment!
Can you wake up earlier to write? What if you squeezed in 40 minutes of writing time before work everyday? What if you write for 30 minutes in the morning four times per week?
The time is there, you just have to push harder to squeeze it in.
3. Write During Your Work Breaks
What if you could work for 10 minutes during your break each day for 5 days a week? That’s 50 minutes each week!
I’m not suggesting you don’t eat. Eat. Just cut back on the time you spend socializing during your lunch break.
That small gaps of time still make up a fraction of all the time you have in a day. You can eat, then write. Or you can write while you eat. Just shoot for 10 minutes a day.
4. Outsource
Whether you write for a living in an office or you work out of your home, the same principle applies. You can’t afford to do every task yourself. You can’t wear all the hats, pick up other people’s tasks, and still do an outstanding job on your work.
Find out where you can outsource other tasks to someone who is equipped to do the job. That way, you can focus more on the high priority tasks (like writing, of course).
5. Stop “Multi-Tasking”
This is one of the most common lies we tell ourselves. But what’s even worse? We have ourselves so convinced that we’re actually accomplishing our goals.
This is similar to thinking that if I eat a salad everyday for lunch, I will maintain good health. In a sense it seems logical. But not if I’m eating ice cream and cheese puffs for breakfast, pizza and hotdogs for dinner, and snacking on popcorn everyday.
In reality, it is better to fully accomplish one task (giving it our undivided attention) before moving on to another.
6. Block Your Distractions
Getting your work done means you have to take radical steps to eliminate all forms of distractions while you work.
This includes putting your phone on silent, having childcare arrangements (if possible), and shutting out the other ninety-nine things in life that are competing for your attention.
7. Identify the Best Times to Write
How many times have you fallen asleep on your keyboard? Do you work better in the evenings, during the day, or early in the mornings?
Think about when you feel, think, and work better. It’s not always about having more time, but discovering the time of day when you work best.
Productivity is key!
8. Write in Stages and Set Goals
Systems and methods have always worked for me. Even when it comes to writing! It can help you stay organized and get a handle on your time.
First, set a realistic goal for the number of words you want to write.
Here’s what it might look like to write in stages: brainstorm, outline, write 1st draft, (free flowing-don’t worry about saying it a certain way, or fixing errors), let sit, draft 2, let sit, draft 3.
9. Stop Waiting for a Better Time
It’s good to strive to write during the times when you are able to function and focus better. But don’t use that as an excuse for not being able to write when time permits you to get a little work done but you don’t feel like it.
If your spouse offers to cleanup and get the children ready for bed after dinner, use that time to do some writing. It may be a bit harder to focus after a long day of work, but hey-it’s still time you can use.
Tools to Make Writing Easier
Take advantage of these awesome tools that will help you stay on the right track to write more!
Grammarly
Grammarly has a built in spell checker and plagiarism report designed to catch all of your grammatical errors. This plugin is amazing and is compatible with Twitter, Linkedin, Gmail, as well as other sites.
Toggl
Toggl is a time tracking software that takes the guess-work out of exactly how you’re spending your time. You can examine your hours based on clients, tasks, and projects.
Strict Workflow
Do you always fall for every distraction? Is it hard for you to put your foot down and stay focused during the times you work? If yes is your answer, install Strict Workflow right now. It keeps you accountable to work for 25 minutes with no distractions, then allows you to take a 5 minutes break.
Repeat until all of your work has been completed.
To Wrap Up
As you can see, there are several creative ways you can squeeze in more writing time every single day to reach your goals. You’ll begin to make more progress once you begin to take ownership for your time.
Start implementing these ideas to improve your writing skills and excel in your career and business.
—
Shutterstock image
Great article, Elna. You’ve certainly helped me grow more confident in starting a writing business and also helped me to launch my new website – thank you.