How To Write Consistently with 3 Simple Habits

The more you write the better your skills will become, but learning to stick to a consistent writing habit can be tricky. Many writers (me included) go through phases of writing frequently and then not writing at all. However, inconsistent writing is unproductive and ineffective at improving skills. The key to consistent writing is having small, manageable goals with sufficient breaks to avoid burnout.

Once you learn to build a consistent writing habit, you should notice your writing improve steadily and the amount you write increases. Some of the best habits involve small changes that you can keep up with, will keep writing fun, and help avoid the dreaded burnout. Let’s learn how to write consistently!

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Create SMART Goals

SMART goals are specific, manageable, achievable, relevant, and time-specific. These goals give you the best chance at achieving them because of their structure. Make writing goals that are specific; this should include the what of your writing. Just saying “I will write five minutes every day” is lacking. When you sit down to write for five minutes, you will spend fifteen minutes deciding what to work on. Knowing exactly what you will write will help you stay consistent.

You also want your goals to be manageable and achievable. If your goal is too difficult it simply won’t happen. The harder your goal is to achieve, the less likely you are to achieve it. So, instead of making a goal of writing 5,000 words every day when you barely write that in a month, choose a goal that is closer to your current habits. Start small, and as you build more consistent habits, your goals will grow.

Make relevant goals that push you closer to what you want to achieve long term. If you are looking to build a consistent writing habit, making goals that focus on consistency is your best bet. If you are looking to grow your writing portfolio, you may focus your goals on completing specific projects.

Your goal should also be bound by time. A goal of writing every day will have no end date. You will never be able to achieve the goal because it doesn’t end. Instead, keep your goals bound by certain dates.

Examples of SMART goals for consistent writing habits:

I will write 1,000 words of my novel every week for one month.
I will finish my novel in one year by writing 500 words 5x/week.

Remember, know what you will write, when you will write, and why you are writing.

Combine Writing with an Established Habit

In Atomic Habits, James Clear **recommends stacking new habits with established habits to more easily build the desired habit. With writing, this can be difficult because you aren’t able to write and do something at the same time. However, this can still work for the timing of your writing. If you have a habit of relaxing for an hour after work, you can pair this with writing. Maybe you decide to write for the last fifteen minutes of your break. Whatever you decide, you want to make it as easy as possible to implement the new habit.

Mix it Up

Working on the same story day in and day out will leave you bored and uninspired. Try adding some new writing projects in between bigger projects to keep writing fun. Writing prompts, collaboration, and writing challenges can be ways to bring excitement back to your writing life.

It’s easy to get lost in big writing projects like novels, but try to take breaks every now and then. Switching to a smaller project, a different large project, completing a writing challenge, and trying some fun prompts are all ways to keep the excitement of writing.

This habit can also help you grow your skills as you can focus on writing things you may not do often.