Scott Oldford Site

Tag: productivity

The Weird Strategy Dr. Seuss Used to Create His Greatest Work (And Why You Should Use It Too)
In 1960, two men made a bet.

There was only $50 on the line, but millions of people would feel the impact of this little wager.

The first man, Bennett Cerf, was the founder of the publishing firm, Random House. The second man was named Theo Geisel, but you probably know him as Dr. Seuss. Cerf proposed the bet and challenged that Dr. Seuss would not be able to write an entertaining children’s book using only 50 different words.

Dr. Seuss took the bet and won. The result was a little book called Green Eggs and Ham. Since publication, Green Eggs and Ham has sold more than 200 million copies, making it the most popular of Seuss’s works and one of the best-selling children’s books in history.

At first glance, you might think this was a lucky fluke. A talented author plays a fun game with 50 words and ends up producing a hit. But there is actually more to this story and the lessons in it can help us become more creative and stick to better habits over the long-run.

Here’s what we can learn from Dr. Seuss…

The power of constraints

What Dr. Seuss discovered through this little bet was the power of setting constraints.

Setting limits for yourself — whether that involves the time you have to work out, the money you have to start a business, or the number of words you can use in a book — often delivers better results than “keeping your options open.”

In fact, Dr. Seuss found that setting some limits to work within was so useful that he employed this strategy for other books as well. For example, The Cat in the Hat was written using only a first-grade vocabulary list.

In my experience, I’ve seen that constraints can also provide benefits in health, business, and life in general. I’ve noticed two reasons why this occurs.

1. Constraints inspire your creativity

If you’re five foot five inches tall and you’re playing basketball, you figure out more creative ways to score than the six foot five inch guy.

If you have a one-year-old child that takes up almost every minute of your day, you figure out more creative ways to get some exercise.

If you’re a photographer and you show up to a shoot with just one lens, then you figure out more creative ways to capture the beauty of your subject than you would with all of your gear available.

Limitations drive you to figure out solutions. Your constraints inspire your creativity.

2. Constraints force you to get something done

Time constraints have forced me to produce some of my best work. This is especially true with my writing. Every Monday and Thursday, I write a new article — even if it’s inconvenient.

This constraint has led me to produce some of my most popular work in unlikely places. When I was sitting in the passenger seat on a road trip through West Virginia, I wrote an article. When I was visiting family for the 4th of July, I wrote an article. When I spent all day flying in and out of airports, I wrote an article.

Without my schedule (the constraint), I would have pushed those articles to a different day. Or never got around to them at all. Constraints force you to get something done and don’t allow you to procrastinate. This is why I believe that professionals set a schedule for their production while amateurs wait until they feel motivated.

What constraints are you setting for yourself? What type of schedule do you have for your goals?

Related note: Sticking to your schedule doesn’t have to be grand or impressive. Just commit to a process you can sustain. And if you have to, reduce the scope.

Constraints are not the enemy

So often we spend time complaining about the things that are withheld from us.
- “I don’t have enough time to work out.”
- “I don’t have enough money to start a business.”
- “I can’t eat this food on my diet.”
But constraints are not the enemy. Every artist has a limited set of tools to work with. Every athlete has a limited set of skills to train with. Every entrepreneur has a limited amount of resources to build with. Once you know your constraints, you can start figuring out how to work with them. (Click to tweet this idea.)

The size of your canvas

Dr. Seuss was given 50 words. That was the size of his canvas. His job was to see what kind of picture he could paint with those words.

You and I are given similar constraints in our lives.

You only have 30 minutes to fit a workout into your day? So be it. That’s the size of your canvas. Your job is to see if you can make those 30 minutes a work of art.

You can only spare 15 minutes each day to write? That’s the size of your canvas. Your job is to make each paragraph a work of art.

You only have $100 to start your business? Great. That’s the size of your canvas. Your job is to make each sales call a work of art.

You can only eat whole foods on your diet? That’s the size of your canvas. Your job is to take those ingredients and make each meal a work of art.

There are a lot of authors who would complain about writing a book with only 50 words. But there was one author who decided to take the tools he had available and make a work of art instead.

We all have constraints in our lives. The limitations just determine the size of the canvas you have to work with. What you paint on it is up to you.

Have you tried adding constraints to your writing process?

This article was originally published on JamesClear.com.
April 21, 2014
4 Strategies for Better Time Management (and Bigger Paychecks) as a Freelance Writer

Making money as a freelance writer has just as much to do with your time as it does with how good of a writer you are or how many clients you have.

The most successful freelance writers are not those who can write the best copy or even write the fastest. The most successful freelance writers are those who know how to manage their time to get the most quality work done. (Agree? Click to tweet this idea.)

As a freelance writer who works on the side of a full-time job, I know there are only so many hours in my day. If I can’t make my mornings, nights and weekends the most productive they can be, I’m not just wasting my precious free time — I’m also not getting paid.

Below are four lessons I’ve learned the hard way that have ultimately helped me make the most of my time and be more productive in my freelance writing business.

1. Accept that you are not a writing machine

Just because there are 24 hours a day doesn’t mean you can use every single one of them to focus on writing for clients. As a human, you need time to sleep. And eat. And occasionally watch trashy TV. (“Occasionally” being the key word.)

Since I’m a driven and motivated person, sometimes it’s hard for me to accept that I do not operate like a machine. But I’ve learned when I’m mentally exhausted, my resistance to distractions weakens. Pinterest beckons. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded. I wonder what snacks are in the fridge. Three hours later, I’m frustrated because I thought this blog post would only take me an hour.

Through experiences like these, I’ve accepted that I am not a writing machine.

I am a human who writes, and I need to be fully energized and focused to do my best work. That means it’s okay to close my laptop for an hour or two while I go for a run or cook dinner. Oftentimes, I will finish my assignment faster on my return because by turning off my brain from writing for a bit, I regain my focus.

2. Log your time right this very minute

Some clients pay a flat fee per project. But if you’re getting paid hourly, it’s up to you to keep track of how much time something takes.

Keeping track of exactly how much time you spend on a particular client can be tough, especially if you’re jumping between projects. But it’s absolutely necessary to track your time to ensure you’re properly compensated for your work. If you try to rely on your memory at month’s end, it’s likely you could under report your time — and undercut your own paycheck.

I save myself a lot of time and stress if I log my time right after I complete a task. Even if it’s only 30 minutes, those minutes add up! I find that if I stay on top of my time sheets, I report my time more accurately — and ultimately get paid more — than if I try to guestimate at the end of the month when invoices are due.

3. Save the best assignments for last

Even though writing may be your passion, it’s still work. And like with any job, some projects are more exciting than others.

Even if you love all your clients, you’ll always have a favorite. When you have two projects to complete, it’s tempting to start on the one you like more first. But at the end of the day, you need to finish both.

I’ve found I’m more efficient in completing all my freelance work if I start with the task I want to work on the least. I’m then more motivated to complete that less-fun task so I can get to the fun stuff faster.

If your time is mostly dedicated to writing for one client, there might be certain tasks that are more enjoyable than others. For example, I like writing blog posts much more than I enjoy finding the right images for them. If I find an image at the end, it seems like even more of a drag because I already did the fun part. But if I find the image first, the writing is more enjoyable because a task I don’t particularly enjoy is already done.

4. When the going gets tough, envision your best self

While being your own freelance boss can be rewarding, it’s hard to be your own boss AND employee.

You have to self-delegate — and self-motivate — to get your work done. If you spend too much time online window shopping this week, you don’t get paid. Of course, you strive for efficiency, but a blank page can be daunting. It’s so much easier to spend just 10 more minutes on Facebook before you get started.

When my motivation is lacking, I try to think about who my best self is and what that person wants to accomplish. Often this is just the kick in the butt I need to stop procrastinating and get back to work. Do I want to be the freelance writer who is great at pinning delicious recipes I will likely never even try? Or do I want to be the freelancer whose writing brings new customers to a product and client I believe in?

By refocusing on my goals and how my best self wants to run my business, I am more motivated to sit my butt in the chair and get back to writing. I know I can always shop later.

It takes practice, trial and error to figure out how to best manage your own time as a freelance writer. You may find you’re more productive at certain times than at others. The good news is that you’re in complete control. Whether you’re a morning person, afternoon person or middle-of-the-night person, you have a freedom most employees do not: control of your own working hours.

So just as you take control of how much you charge and what clients you accept, take control of how you manage your time. Your productivity — and your bank account — will thank you.

What tricks do you use to manage your time?

April 16, 2014
How Fast Can You Read? New App Makes Speed-Reading Easier

Ever wished you could read faster? While you may not want to rush through your favorite novel, most of us would be happy to speed-read the morning news or breeze through an explanation that helps us learn a new skill.

Spritz, a new app from a Boston-based startup of the same name, is “reimagining reading” by making it possible to read up to 1,000 words per minute (wpm), when the average adult reads about 300 wpm.

How the heck does Spritz work?

Spritz makes reading easier by focusing on the “Optimal Recognition Point” (ORP), or the part of the word you look at while your brain processes the meaning of the group of letters.

Moving your eyes from word to word to find the next ORP accounts for about 80 percent of the time it takes to read conventionally-written words. To cut down on this wasted time, Spritz presents each word exactly where your brain wants it to be: in the same space on the screen and lined up by ORP.

The result? Your eye doesn’t have to search for the next ORP. And that means your brain can process content more efficiently — to, for example, whip through that longform article in a fraction of the time — which is the big appeal of this technology.

A comparison of ORP alignment in Spritz and Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP), a common speed-reading technique.

Spritz is also ideal for smartphone and other small screens. Since the human eye can focus on about 13 characters at a time, Spritz only shows 13 or fewer characters at once.

To give Spritz a try, head to the app’s homepage. Choose your language and speed, then click the white display for a demonstration. Elite Daily also includes a helpful demonstration in their article about Spritz.

What do you think of this idea? Would you use an app like this to read faster?

March 11, 2014
4 Ways to Become a Better Writer, Even If You’re Low on Time

Freelancing takes many forms, and although you may consider yourself a writer, there’s a slew of related work that comes with it: researching, editing, conference calls, invoicing. Let’s face it, being a writer involves a lot of not-writing — and all that not-writing takes time.

Even when you are writing, you might find that your daily gig of expressing a brand’s mission in 140 characters or less, or keeping a blog post to 300 words, can be stifling.

When you have a million and one tasks to accomplish and work guidelines to respect, what’s a busy writer to do?

Try these exercises to stay sharp and stretch your writer’s limbs — all while moving through your daily tasks.

Challenge yourself with a “banned” words list

You can improve your writing skills even if you’re just keeping up with emails. Keep a list of three to five “banned” words and hit that backspace key each time you see one crop up in your daily tasks.

For example, I’m striving to ban “awesome” as a go-to adjective. If I spy a sentence in an email that starts with “so,” I revise immediately. Pat yourself on the back when you catch a correction before you hit “send.”

Set a mental timer

How quickly can you respond to those daily emails? Can your project update notes be more concise? Challenge yourself to complete emails and other updates in record time — while still excelling in grammar, clarity, and authenticity.

Take note of when you feel comfortable breezing through these tasks, and consider working this strategy into your daily routine. Maybe you cruise through emails before breakfast but only after that first cup of coffee. Know thyself, writer.

Go back to basics with a notebook

Our tech tools have plenty of perks, but consider the simplicity of pen and paper. A notebook can thrive despite drained phone batteries, bad reception, and device sharing. I keep one next to my bed for capturing bits of dialogue or ideas that float to the surface during those pre-alarm moments.

Read, even if you have no time to read

When you’re busy, it’s hard to fit in any extracurricular activities, let alone “reading for pleasure.” Make it happen, though: squeeze in a newspaper article, short story, or even a blog post whenever you can. Use a tool like Pocket to save longer reads to your phone for when you’re eating lunch or waiting for a train.

Writers notice others’ writing. The best way to stay sharp is to keep a steady stream of content flowing.

What’s your favorite way to sneak writing practice into your day?

February 11, 2014
6 Ways to Make Life as a Freelance Writer Less Lonely

Just launched your freelance biz but didn’t realize working from home all day meant also being alone all day?

Raise your hand if you’re an extroverted entrepreneur who has found it difficult to transition from being in an office full of coworkers to being in an office full of plants.

It’s true that working from home has its benefits, but for so many entrepreneurs, it’s the camaraderie and daily interaction with other people that fuel them creatively. And the one thing that no one tells you when put in your two weeks’ notice to go out on your own:

It can be excruciatingly lonely.

From one extrovert who spends most of her days alone to another, here are six tips to combat the solo business blues.

1. Plan out your day

By the minute, if you can. The loneliest days are days where no plan is in place because “the inspiration will just come, right?.” Nope. In fact, those days are usually spent refreshing social media or watching Netflix.

Even if you don’t have client work, make a list of nagging projects that are kept on the backburner (like “Write down 10 ideas for a newsletter opt-in” or “Get car registered” or “Pitch one new client”) and then SCHEDULE them throughout the day.

With a daily plan, you’ll feel more energized and productive, and less “I wonder what everyone else is doing today.”

2. Join a gym

Every foray to the gym (or yoga studio, or spin class, or…) will provide you with a) a good excuse to run into friends that belong to the same gym or b) the opportunity to make new friends (aka the web designer that attends your yoga class every Thursday).

Plus, any opportunity to get out of the house will make you feel like you’ve done something with your day AND you’ll get your sweat on. 3 birds, 1 stone.

3. Find a coworking space

This seems like a no-brainer, but as a brand-new, solo entrepreneur who is trying to keep a lean budget, sometimes it’s hard to justify the cost of a work space when there’s plenty of space at home. However, aside from being around other people, you’ll meet a lot of other entrepreneurs, get your water cooler conversations in, and maybe even gain a few clients.

To keep costs low, see if you can share a desk with another freelancer (and split the cost) or ask a marketing firm if you can command one of their conference rooms for a few hours every week for a smaller fee. Working around other creative, driven individuals can make you feel more inspired and productive. (Click to tweet this idea.)

4. Fill out your social calendar

Though most of your friends may work traditional nine-to-five jobs, they need breaks from their desks just as much as you need a break from…well, yourself.

Coffee dates, lunch dates, and the occasional 4pm happy hour (hey, we can do that because we’re freelancers!) mean that you have some human interaction to look forward to. It also requires that you get all of your “Must Dos” done earlier in the day, which cuts down on Facebook-refreshing time. Less work, more play.

5. Reach out to other freelancers

It’s not an accident that many freelancers hang out together. If you’ve just started working from home, make “daytime” friends by reaching out to other writers, designers, photographers, and bloggers that you know will likely be working from home.

Under the guise of “I’d love to get to know more about the entrepreneurial community around here,” convince another freelancer or two to have coffee with you. I do this often, and it’s led to three new clients, an invitation to a “Freelance Ladies” networking group, and two very solid friendships.

6. Create networking goals

Networking doesn’t have to be sleazy and forced. If you give yourself two networking goals a month (like “Join a networking group” or “Hand out my business card 10 times” or “Sign up to give a presentation to the Local Entrepreneurs Group”), you’re not only giving your business a kick in the pants, but you’re creating a project for yourself that practically requires human engagement.

Even if you spend your time giving out business cards to the baristas at the coffee shops you frequent, who knows when they’ll need a writer to re-do their menu or revamp their website?

What other strategies can solopreneurs use to stay engaged with other people?

February 10, 2014
5 Voice Tools That Will Help You Write Better — Without a Keyboard

Writers are constantly looking for the best software to manage their creations.

People experiment and switch off between writing tools that add more features and some that declutter the workspace to promote creativity.

However, while the average person types at 50 to 80 words per minute, that same person produces 110 to 150 words per minute when speaking. Why not consider a writing tool that keeps your hands off the keyboard and puts your voice to work? (Click to tweet this idea.)

Let’s explore five tools that let you manage your ideas and write full articles and stories without even touching a keyboard.

Windows Speech Recognition

Ideas can pop into your head at any time, whether you’re doing the laundry or eating lunch. Take advantage of them!

Start writing at a faster rate, with more freedom to move around and complete other tasks by using Windows Speech Recognition software. This software is surprisingly accurate and it picks up on your own personal speaking subtleties. Newer Windows computers come with the Windows Speech Recognition software included.

Dragon Speech Recognition

Dragon Speech Recognition is the top speech recognition option for Mac users. It’s not free like Windows Speech Recognition, but it blows any other dictation software out of the water. Narrate your book into the microphone and watch it magically appear on screen. A PC version is also available.

Evernote

It’s no secret that writers find inspiration in different locations. A handy notebook or camera works wonders for writers on the move.

However, these pieces of inspiration take a little more work to transfer into actual writing. Pictures and drawings are not words, so they need to be efficiently transferred into words. Log all your photos and sketches in Evernote and spend a period of time every week describing them. You could easily place one of these descriptions in a story or article.

In addition, Evernote offers a speech-to-text feature, which comes in handy when you’re on the move and need to jot down an idea, talk out a chapter, or run through lines of dialogue.

Download the application and include the widget on your homescreen to get a one-click capture of your thoughts. Go back to your computer later and export this piece of material to the word processor of your choice.

OmniPage

Optical character recognition is a form of software that scans hardcopy documents and converts them into editable documents for Microsoft Word and other processors. You may not be able to write a novel with OmniPage or other OCR software, but how many times have you held a hard copy document with no way to digitize it?

Cut out magazine articles and paste quotes or segments directly into your computer. Maybe you wrote a story back in the day and the only copy you have is the one folded into a time capsule. Dust off that story and convert it into a document for editing.

Livescribe

Livescribe is about as state-of-the-art as any writer can get right now. The Livescribe 3 pen allows you to jot down notes with a real pen that transmits ink to the page while still capturing a digital version of the text on your iPad or iPhone. You can then convert your notes into editable text to plug right into your article or story.

In essence you get four versions of your notes in one swoop: written on the notepad, written on the application, converted to type and you can also record your voice while writing for quick reference. The only problem with Livescribe? It doesn’t work on Androids yet.

The world is filled with places and opportunities that offer inspiration and motivation. Cut down on the process of transferring handwritten notes to your computer. Write faster and multitask by moving beyond the keyboard.

Are there any other ways to write more efficiently than with a keyboard?

February 4, 2014
7 Free Tools to Organize and Prioritize Your Writing Life

Do you sometimes find yourself overwhelmed by the ever growing list of things to do? Managing your daily tasks can become its own full-time job.

Thankfully, there are plenty of apps and tools to keep you organized and focused. Here are seven free tools that help you streamline your daily lists and notes, leaving you more time to dedicate the projects most important to you.

Take notes and manage to-do lists

1. Evernote

Overview: Evernote is the most flexible of the note-taking tools. You can tag each note with keywords, making your files easily searchable and accessible even when you have hundreds of notes. You can attach files, format your notes, and include tables, checkboxes and lists.

Stand out features: The reminders feature emails you a list of things due each day, creating an efficient way to automate your daily to-do list.
If you want to use Evernote to work with teams and share notes across groups, you must purchase their premium service.

Evernote is available for Android, Apple and as a downloadable application for any computer. There’s also an online interface that allows you to work from any computer.

2. Trello

Overview: Trello’s drag-and-drop interface is easy to use, but it is the least robust of the to-do list tools. The main benefit of Trello is it allows free access for multiple users.

Stand out features: You can color-code, use hyperlinks and include checklists in your individual projects.

The premium service allows you to log in through your Google account, and sync your to-do list with your daily schedule.

Trello is available for both Android and Apple mobile, but only Windows 8 for your computer. Otherwise, you must use the Trello web interface.

3. Todoist

Overview: Todoist is simple to use and easy to navigate. You can tag your tasks for easy searching as well as organize them by group or task. Formatting options for tasks, however, are limited.

Stand out features: Todoist allows you to set priorities within your tasks and lets you create sub-projects and hierarchies within your task list. The Todoist productivity feature lets you see how much you’ve accomplished in the last week.

Todoist has the most flexible options for mobile devices, operating systems, and platforms. Unfortunately, adding notes and attaching files is a premium-only feature.

4. Google Calendar + Tasks

Overview: Google is the king of free organization apps. The tasks and calendar fit together seamlessly, and it’s easy to set reminders for both tasks and meetings to appear either in your email or as pop ups.

Stand out features: Google gives you free access not only to scheduling and tasks but to a host of features that help you organize your time, maintain your files and keep track of your websites and business.

Google Tasks aren’t as intuitive as the other to-do list tools, but the sheer number of options available to you via Google makes the learning curve worth the effort. You can access it online and from all mobile devices.

Schedule Your Time

5. Youcanbook.me

Overview: Youcanbook.me automates your meetings. You set a calendar according to days and times you’re available, then simply send your calendar link to clients or colleagues when you want to schedule a meeting.

Stand out features: Both you and meeting attendees receive an email with pertinent meeting details. You can design your calendar to match your website as well as include your company logo.

The service connects with your Google Calendar to automatically create meeting entries as well as assure you don’t double book your time.

Measure Your Productivity

6. RescueTime

Overview: You think you’re just quickly checking Facebook or email and then you’ll get back to work? RescueTime lets you know exactly how fast those moments add up to a big waste of your time.

Install RescueTime on your computer, then rate websites, tasks and applications on a scale of very productive to highly distracting. RescueTime logs the amount of hours you spend on your computer and then lets you know how much of that time was actually productive.

Stand out features: You receive a weekly emailed report of where you used your time and exactly how much of it was used productively.

It can be a bit of a shock at first to see exactly how much time you’ve wasted, but awareness — and perhaps a bit of shame — allows you to tweak your computer usage, making your work time more efficient.

Work with a team

7. Asana

Overview: Asana streamlines processes for teams to work together so that all members of the team can easily update and be updated. It is free and accessible via any internet browser. Asana’s options make it ideal for managing anything from customer relations to keeping track of pitches.

The interface isn’t as intuitive to use as some of the other options, but its gallery of helpful videos will get you started.

Stand out features: You can sign in via Google, sync with your calendar and add team members and tasks from your email and social media accounts.

There’s no one perfect solution to keep track of what you have to do, but these free tools certainly make it easier. It takes a bit of trial and error before you know which will work best for you, but once you find your own process, you can keep track of everything you need and automate some of the more tedious details, leaving you more time to write, make contacts and develop your writing career.

What are your favorite free productivity tools?

January 31, 2014
5 Clever Hacks for Researching That Will Help You Write Better Stories

Working as a writer and blogger can often mean producing content across a variety of sectors — not all of which may be your area of expertise.

Writing about new topics requires a bit more exploration and reading in order to be familiar with your subject matter. Completing this research in a smart, efficient manner enables you to concentrate more on the actual writing, and less on digging up information. This means more timely key articles for clients, better value for money, and a happier work life all around.

Here are five clever workflow hacks to help bloggers and writers gather information quickly and efficiently.

1. Set up Google Alerts

Google Alerts are an excellent place to start when setting up a smart workflow. Set up a series of Google Alerts for keywords you need to keep an eye on, and the relevant info will come straight to your inbox.

Need support with this? I’ve put together a short screencast to walk you through the process.

2. File newsfeed articles and sector roundup emails to a Google Doc

When you subscribe to a variety of news roundup blogs and sites, as well as the most important blogs in your niche, you’ll have a number of emails hitting your inbox each morning. Organizing these messages is crucial if they’re going to be of any use to you.

I use a filing trick in my Gmail inbox to earmark any important items as ones I’d like to write about or investigate further. I have set up a range of filters using IFTTT.com, a service that connects your web apps based on the concept of “If this, then that.” For example, if I star an email in my inbox, the content gets filed directly to a Google Doc marked “Blog ideas”. Then, when I’m ready to write, I simply scan the Doc for an interesting tidbit! (Like this idea? Click to tweet it).

3. Use Twitter lists to file news and articles to Evernote

Twitter lists are a time-saving trick which I highly recommend. In addition to reading tweets in this way, I use IFTTT.com to move any tweets I mark as ‘favorite’ to my Evernote notebook, ready for later use and reference.

4. Send key RSS feeds straight to Evernote or Google Docs

For sites with regular content that you really can’t miss, set up an RSS feed alert. You can set this up within Feedly Pro, or use IFTTT.com to send the content directly to your Evernote or Google Docs account. This makes sure that your key resources will always be available to you when required.

5. Use existing collated research

Stumble Upon now has list making facilities, similar to those on Pinterest, which are extremely helpful for sourcing new ideas and articles along a theme. Follow some key list-makers and influencers and use their collective research to boost your own.

Similarly, List.ly is a handy collaborative list-making site that may have some resources you need with a different spin to kickstart some ideas.

Do you use any of these methods for your research and writing workflow?

January 28, 2014
How to Trick Yourself Into Making Major Writing Progress
Staying motivated on a regular basis is one of the most difficult challenges when you’re a writer. Not only are there a million distractions, including everything shiny on the Internet, your motivation can also take a nosedive when you look at the clock or calendar and realize you haven’t churned out x pieces or hit your word count goals.

You just might be missing out on a source of motivation that’s building up day by day.

Through over a decade of research, psychologists Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer discovered a startling key to unlocking motivation called the progress principle — that the most powerful motivator is making progress on meaningful work. And most people are missing out because they think that the strongest motivation comes from rewards or money.

The power of the progress principle is that motivation also comes from celebrating small wins. We tend to think about our goals as big wins, such as getting a piece accepted or hitting “send” on a submission or seeing your words in print or pixel. Big wins certainly are important but when you don’t recognize your small wins, you’re not actually as productive as you could be. (Like this idea? Click to tweet it).

Reframe productivity as progress

John McPhee, a writer known for his prolific output, told The Paris Review that his productivity is from making a little bit of progress every day:

“[I]f you put a drop in a bucket every day, after three hundred and sixty-five days, the bucket’s going to have some water in it.”

The task of creating a few drops in the bucket is less intimidating than the big goal of writing a bestseller, and it ends up paving the way. There’s a cascade of positivity that results from seeing your drop-by-drop progress. You’ll feel more reliably engaged and happy, which then sets up a good frame of mind for creativity and exploration rather than stress and anxiety encroaching on your brainwaves.

When you think about your day in terms of “progress” rather than plainer terms like “word counts”, “work”, or “writing”, you’ll gain motivation from seeing what you accomplished and a visible direction toward where you hope to be tomorrow.

Say hello to dear diary

Professor Amabile and Dr. Kramer point to journaling as one of the best tools to harness the progress principle and fuel yourself with the power of small wins. It can be doubly hard to bring yourself to write even more at the end of the day, but reflection and journaling will ultimately help you acknowledge and recognize all your steps forward, big and small.

Here are three benefits you’ll gain from the practice and some tips to think about along the way:

1. You’ll learn how to work smarter

Sometimes days as a writer feel like a grinding Groundhog Day-type cycle. Taking time to recognize, reflect on, and review your progress will teach you how to work better than just trying to mechanically plug away every day.

For example, you can observe what your natural work rhythms are. When do the words seem to flow out most effortlessly? Once you have a handle on when and how you do your best work, you can better structure your days to protect time for writing, thinking, and creating and allot other times for outward-facing work like emails and calls.

2. You’ll keep the momentum going.

Alexander Chee keeps a daily writing journal dedicated solely to work on his novel. He writes down ideas, thoughts, and comments about the day:

“I make the entry even if it’s just a few lines, every day of work on it as I close the day’s work, and I also put scraps in there, deleted sections and lines I want to save….When I return to work the next day, I reread that entry first and I return to where I was and what I was thinking about the more quickly.”

For Chee, his writing journal serves as an ongoing blueprint and work record that helps him to keep motivated and continue making progress.

3. You’ll gather feedback.

As a writer, you’re often working alone (unless you have an accountability group or co-author), which means fewer opportunities for feedback. When you have a regular practice of reflection or journaling, you gain feedback about your work from your own history, which can then be used to plan and gain perspective.

To get the feedback and progress train rolling, ask yourself questions like:
- What’s something — anything — that stood out about the time I spent working?
- What progress did I make today, even if it’s a small step forward?
- What helped or hurt my ability to work today — and why?
- What can I do to make progress tomorrow?
What are some ways that you gain motivation from your progress?
January 13, 2014
3 Steps for Creating Meaningful Goals That Will Help You Make Progress as a Writer

Have you found yourself feeling rudderless with your writing?

Maybe you’re writing and even publishing regularly but don’t seem to be moving toward any specific destination. Or maybe you can’t even find the motivation to sit down at your desk for more than an hour.

There’s a good chance you feel this way for a specific reason: because you don’t have a clear goal for your writing career.

When you have an overarching goal you know:

+ Where to pitch

+ What to write about

+ What types of articles you want to write

+ Where you want to publish

+ Whether you want to write short or long form

So what’s the best way to create goals that will help you produce work you’re proud of?

Here are three steps that will help you create clear goals and accomplish the things that really matter.

Step 1: Identify your big picture

This goes beyond setting goals for individual projects and instead spans all parts of your writing life, from pitching to craft to the business side.

It also means identifying your WHYs. Are you writing to present yourself as an expert in a particular area? Do you want to support yourself through your fiction writing? Or maybe you plan on strategically guest posting to bring an audience to your website who will buy your books or other products?

Brainstorm all the things you’d love to see yourself accomplishing as a writer. Once you’ve got your ideas down on paper, streamline those thoughts by writing in one sentence that encompasses your overall objective for writing.

For example, here’s my overarching objective:

I want to build a writing and education business that empowers and inspires people to express themselves creatively while allowing me to work where I want.

Step 2: Outline the steps you must take to accomplish your objective

Each big picture requires a different set of tasks. And each short-term goal will flow naturally from your big picture goal.

In my case, if I want people to see me as someone who can help them write books, memoirs and short stories, I must show I know what I’m doing. So I regularly write, pitch and publish articles about how people can move forward at all stages of the writing process.

I also want to make sure my clients know that my writing expertise is hard won through personal experience. Thus, I continue to write my own books and fiction that I share with my clients and audience.

As for where and what I pitch, I focus on writing for an audience interested in the information I offer.

Step 3: Set benchmarks to create accountability and assess forward movement

Create specific dates by which you want to reach each short-term goal. It may initially feel strange and groundless to set deadlines when you’re unsure of how long things should take. Do it anyway. You can always go back and edit. In fact, you should regularly edit and tweak your goals as you gain expertise and knowledge. (Click to tweet this idea).

Also set specific monetary goals that you want to reach by certain deadlines. If you’re looking to make money via guest posting, decide how many articles you want to publish and how much you want to make over the next six months.

Remember, you can make money when paid directly for your writing, but don’t discount guest blogging as a form of marketing to sell products and services on your own website.

If you want another example, take a look at how I break down my objective into specific goals, tasks and benchmarks.

Making room for change

When it comes to setting and sticking to goals, remember: change is a normal part of this process. After all, you’re not going to be able to predict every possibility and option when you first sit down to create your goals.

You should regularly review your objectives and goals to make sure you haven’t outgrown them. If something no longer fits your plan, change it. It’s as simple as that.

The most important element is creating the structure and accountability that supports you and your writing and allows you to grow as a writer and entrepreneur.

What are your goals for your writing? How have they helped you find direction and stay on track?

December 23, 2013