This is part three of a four-part article on increasing your productivity as a writer.
If you need to catch up, start here: From Procrastination to Prose: Boost Your Writing Productivity with These Tips
Improving your author mindset is crucial for sustained creativity, productivity, and overall well-being.
Remember, you are the only writer who can tell your stories your way. Your voice is unique. YOU are unique. The world needs your stories.
Can you imagine if Hemingway, or your favorite author/musician/painter, never showed their work to the world?
You can do hard things.
And you can succeed.
Improving your mindset is the next pillar in our Productivity formula. Need a reminder of that formula?
If you’re a fiction writer, you’re probably familiar with GMC – goals, motivation, and conflict – for your characters. For my productivity formula, GMC stands for goals, mindset, and commitment.
P = E+GMC
P = productivity
E = energy
G = goals
M = mindset
C = commitment
In part one, we discussed your energy and how to work with your natural levels, rather than against them. In part two, we tackled setting goals from the heart.
Next, we’re addressing mindset.
Who is your biggest critic? It’s you. And that’s often the hardest thing for writers to defeat.
Ask yourself this: why did you become a writer (or why do you want to be a writer)? Your WHY is the key to understanding your motivation and overcoming the Doubt Demons who keep you from it.
This comes back to your inner goal that we discussed last week. That goal is a light in the darkness and gives you a raison d’êtra for doing what you do.
You’ve chosen to be a writer. You can quit at any time. No one is forcing you to do this. But the WHY? It’s your WHY that won’t leave you alone. That keeps you wanting to write.
So how do we work with that calling and keep ourselves sane?
Be Adaptable and Flexible
Being a writer means you can pivot when you need to and adjust your goals.
Sometimes you can’t finish a chapter because the dog is sick, or you are. There are days when you can barely find the coffee maker, much less your desk. Life happens! Be kind to yourself and remember to align with your energy. Beating yourself up won’t help – and will hurt – your productivity.
Practice Mindfulness and Stress Reduction Techniques
Mindfulness improves concentration and creativity. Engage in activities such as meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to manage stress.
In fact, exercise of any kind releases endorphins which make you feel better. You want to count lifting your coffee cup to your lips ten times a day? Sure, I’ll give you that, but take breaks, go for a walk, stretch or bike. Do something to get into your body and out of your mind for at least five minutes a day, every day.
Regular breaks prevent burnout and enhance productivity.
Prioritize self-care activities, such as adequate sleep, playtime, and leisure. Your muse needs to dream, play, and refill the imagination well.
Surround Yourself with Positive Influences & Growth Potential
Connect with other writers for support and inspiration and this includes seeking out constructive feedback and being open to collaboration.
Limit exposure to negative influences that upset you – they zap your creativity.
Balance your self-criticism with self-compassion. Understand that setbacks are a natural part of the creative process.
Recognize your accomplishments. Growth over busyness/productivity!
Speaking of growth – attend writing workshops, conferences, or classes to enhance your skills, but be sure to set boundaries. Avoid overcommitting and learn to say no when necessary.
Forming a more positive mindset is a gradual process that involves changing thought patterns, building positive habits, and fostering a healthier self-perception. It takes determination and commitment, but it’s worth it.
More on Gains and Growth
It’s easy to forget about how much you’ve grown and accomplished over time, but acknowledging that can fuel you to keep showing up and doing more.
You aren’t the same writer you were last month, last year. You’re not the same person, either. You’re always growing and expanding.
Empower yourself by focusing on your strengths. We ALL have them.
Recognizing and appreciating your abilities will contribute to a more positive self-image, and that creates a snowball effect in gaining confidence and banishing the Doubt Demons.
Each night before you fall asleep, make it a habit to recall at least three accomplishments you had during the day, especially those related to your writing. Instead of doom-scrolling on your phone or watching mindless TV, make your mindset a priority and end your day appreciating your accomplishments (no matter how small or insignificant they may seem.)
Gains = growth. Growth = productivity and happiness.
Pave the Way to Productivity
Along with the fact you’ve chosen to be a writer, you also control the action steps needed to be more productive.
This takes preparation.
Again, writing down your goals is imperative and reflecting on those things you’ve accomplished already is motivating.
On top of that, one of the best ways to keep yourself eager to get to the keyboard every day is prepping for what comes next.
Have you watched the Christmas movie Prep & Landing? The elves prepare each house for Santa to land at and make sure the children are tucked in their beds, no one is stirring, the milk and cookies are ready, etc.
Be the elf for your muse – prep tomorrow’s writing today.
How? Outline the next scene, leave yourself notes, and make sure your desk or writing space is clean, organized, and ready for your next session.
When you’re washing dishes or cleaning up after your kids, be thinking about the next dialogue exchange between your characters or ways to up the tension in a chapter. Keep a notepad handy to jot down ideas when they come.
Habits are formed in this way, and knowing that you already have notes for what happens next, as well as having your space prepped, creates a welcoming environment for your muse to work in.
Pamper Your Most Important Employee
We expect a lot from our muse and yet, rarely take care of this important co-creator.
If you don’t take time for rest, recovery, and daydreaming, your muse becomes as tired as you are. Think of your muse like you’re best friend and most valuable employee. Without him/her, you have no imagination and no stories.
You can’t expect a seed to thrive if you don’t provide soil and water. Your muse is the same.
If your muse isn’t cooperating, consider writing a short nonfiction piece or using a writing prompt to get the juices flowing. Writing out of genre prevents monotony and sparks ideas.
Watch a movie, listen to music, or go for a walk. Do something out of the ordinary.
Read, read, read. Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin.
Visualization can help, too. Make it a game and have fun with it. Picture yourself achieving your writing goals like we did when we did in Plotting Your Path: Crafting and Crushing Your Writing Goals.
Create a dream board or vision board each quarter and track your progress.
Writing, often a solitary and mentally demanding activity, can lead to burnout. Creating healthy habits, listening to our bodies (and our muses), and reminding ourselves WHY we’ve chosen to be a writer, can make things easier.
And a healthy mindset isn’t only about being a more productive writer.
Developing a positive and growth-oriented mindset can significantly impact your ability to stay focused, overcome obstacles, and ultimately enhance your productivity in ALL areas of your life.
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Here’s to a healthy, happy mindset!
Misty
Writing Raven Author Solutions
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