Hard Lessons I’m Learning About Writing by Writing Every Day

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

I’m only 15 days into the new challenge I’ve given myself — to wake up at 5am, write at least 1,000 words, and publish an article every day.

Though I’ve succeeded so far, I can definitely see where and how I get off track (and it’s not hard to do!) There are endless routes to take to lose my way, and most days, the road forward is a bumpy one.

However, if I can keep these few things in check, I think I’ll have a much greater chance of success in the long run.

Here are some of my biggest takeaways early on in this challenge:

1. Write first thing, or you’ll spend hours procrastinating.

Yes, even before you check your phone or go on the Internet! In fact, don’t do either of those things at all until you’ve published for the day (unless you absolutely need to, to research something for the piece, for example).

I’ve found that if I don’t go to my office and sit down at my desk to start writing as soon as I’ve finished my daily morning routine, I’ll find countless other ways to waste my morning.

Here’s the perfect example:

This morning, instead of sitting down to write at my usual time (around 6:30), I got the brilliant idea of…