Time Management Hacks for Busy Writers

Time management is such an important skill for writers to master, it allows for balance for people with busy lifestyles, boosts productivity and allows for maximum output with minimal time input.

Effective time management is a skill. Luckily, it is a skill that can be trained.

There are lots of different ways to manage your time as a writer, here is three of the best;

Tip 1. Set Clear Goals and Prioritise

The first thing you should do before you look into any time management, is you have to be clear on your goals.

As a writer it’s so important to know where you’re headed so then you can design how to best get there.

So, you should have at least one short-term and one long-term objective for your writing.

Short-term objectives refer to specific achievable actions in the near future that you intend on doing, this could be writing 1000 words a day or simply use your writing tools once a day.

Long-term objectives describe obviously what people think about when they think about goals. For example, completing a book or reaching a million followers.

Next, once you have your goals break them down into smaller manageable tasks, that you can work towards each day. Be sure to set a specific time and space for how long and how often you will work towards your goals.

So become clear on your goals and prioritise your time accordingly.

Tip 2. Short Burst Techniques

Getting to your writing goals is all about achieving and keeping momentum going in your daily life.

Previously I’ve discussed a technique called the Power of 3 which is a productivity tip that states that you should break down the thing you want to do into small simple steps that take either 3 seconds or 3 minutes.

Boost Your Productivity: Master the ‘Power of 3’ Technique

Use the Power of 3 to get momentum with your writing. This is important because once you have momentum you will keep the discipline going to make progress towards your goal.

I’ve found it really helpful to use the Power of 3 in terms of my own writing. I make sure my writing is always open and ready to go. So if I ever get 3 minutes or even 3 seconds to write down some progress on a short story I will do that.

This is so effective as any progress is better than no progress.

So be sure to find gaps in your routine to do 3 minutes at a time. It all adds up and it does so quickly.

Tip 3. Use Productivity Tools or Efficiency

In the digital age writers have access to a plethora of productivity tools at their disposal to streamline tasks and enhance efficiency.

There are 2 main types of tools that I highly recommend for busy writers.

Task Management Apps

Make sure you have some sort of way to write down your to do lists and be able to check them off as you do them. Having easy access to what needs to be done each day is a great way to manage your time effectively. I highly recommend Notion, as it is really enjoyable to use for myself.

Distraction Blocking Apps

It’s so important for busy writers to not waste the free time they do get, I know I’m guilty of it myself especially going on YouTube. As I write this I have a couple of apps open with ghost hunting videos on YouTube open. For maximum productivity we want to avoid that. Tools like Freedom or Cold Turkey empower writers to make distraction free envirnoments during writing hours

So be sure to utilise productivity apps to the best of your ability to manage your time efficiently.

Conclusion

Effective time management is the key to unlock your writing potential amid a busy schedule.

There are three main tips I have given you;

Set clear goals and prioritise
Use short burst techniques
Use productivity tools

Experiment with these strategies to find what works best for you and watch as your writing hours become more productive and fulfiilling.

Thankyou for reading and happy writing 🙂