Practice, Practice, & More Practice

The past week I made a commitment to write at least 1500 words every day. Last year for many months I created at least 1500 words every day in a small block of time I called the Morning Pages. I was so use to sitting down and writing that it would take me very little time to put 1500 words in a document. Lack of practice has made me a bit rusty and it is taking me longer but I am on my way to getting up to speed.

Lately I have focused more on the editing part. If you create a lot of content you might run into the problem of  not being able to publish much quality work because it takes time to edit. I usually hit publish because I seem to never be satisfied when it comes to the quality of a post. Now I hit post after reviewing it a few times.

When I take my time and edit something I usually get better responses than when I use to just write something and hit publish. A few days ago I got a compliment via twitter from my good friend @margieclayman a writer/blogger I admire for being able to consistently produce quantity and quality content on her blog.

[blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/MargieClayman/status/234772233673904128″]

Focusing is something I fight with every day. Right now as I sit in my desk it is a bit cluttered. Clutter creates distractions, the doors of the closet in the office seem to open adding to the distractions and I feel the urge to stand up fix these small issues. As soon as I get up I will want to clear a few more things, which ends up in taking my focus away from writing.

In the past I have written on how I battle distractions, no matter how many tips I get and share I am never able to win every battle. It is human nature to be distracted by the smallest things; it takes discipline to  ignore those distractions and stay focused on the task at hand.

If I want to become a better writer, there are many components that I need to consider. A few  examples are to reading more, writing more, and understanding how to create the right environment to write in.

Next Steps

In the next few days I will be evaluating what type of lighting I prefer, what should be on my desk, how many screens I should have open, and the smells and sounds that make writing a better experience.

Once I get into the practice of writing it helps me identify my productivity levels. The best way to help you understand and define what is needed and what you can improve is by putting it into practice.