What is a writing management plan? I hear you ask. Well, it’s a way to ensure you have set yourself up in the best possible way, creating an environment that lends itself to writing.
A question I often ask my coaching clients when we have come up with a plan together is:
What could derail this plan?
It’s an interesting question, and it makes my client stop for a moment and consider all of the things that could come along and get in the way of their action plan. So, what then?
Creating a writing management plan is not about writing routines, finding the time to write, and all that good stuff – it’s about ensuring that you have thought ahead to potential distractions and taken action before they derail your writing.
Here are three steps to create your own writing management plan:
1) Ask yourself, what could derail my writing plans this week? What could stop me from getting these words on the page? Write down the answers.
2) Consider what you could put in place to limit these distractions. Perhaps it’s asking for help, prepping a meal, or turning off your phone at a specific time.
3) Your final step is to take action. Put these things into place to ensure that your writing time is managed correctly. What does that mean to you? You might be setting up a writing habit, so you want to ensure that you have your cues and rewards correctly set up. As a reminder – creating a habit is a four-step process that looks like this:
1 – Cue: Giving yourself a cue to begin – this means planning, setting an alert or alarm, and essentially reminding yourself of the habit.
2 – Craving: Imagining the satisfaction of having completed the act. What will you feel like once it’s complete? How awesome will it be to have written 1000 more words of your WIP?
3 – Response: The actual act of writing! Sitting down and cracking on with it.
4 – Reward: Pre-plan some reward or incentive for when you’ve completed the word count. It could be anything – from a cup of tea to a chocolate bar to an hour of your favourite show.
Once you have put your actions in place, you have set yourself up for the best possible start in managing your writing that week. Every time you plan to write ahead of time, consider the three steps above, and you’ll find yourself less distracted, more prepped, and with more words on the page.
Want to know more about creating a management plan that works for you? Coaching could be the answer. Click here to read more about what I offer.
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