Even if you don't consider yourself much of a writer, you'd be surprised at how much the act of jotting your thoughts down on paper can help you get more done every day. Getting into a daily writing habit has multiple benefits: putting your goals down in writing makes you more likely to achieve them, it improves the clarity and focus of your ideas, and it declutters your mind so you can think and solve problems more effectively. Plus, a daily writing habit can help you get into a productive mental flow. Here are a few useful tips and tools to help you get started.
Write fiction in the morning to shake up new ideas
Even if you've never tried writing fiction before, try writing a short story in the morning, before you do anything else — even if it's silly. Making yourself think creatively helps open your mind up to more imaginative ideas and increases your creativity.
Record your thoughts in a diary
Keeping a diary isn't just for teenagers; it's a great way to reflect on and analyze your day. What went well, and what could you have done differently? What do you hope to accomplish tomorrow? You'll soon uncover patterns, reinforce good habits, and find ways to improve how you go about your everyday work.
Send postcards to people you're close to
Don't save postcards for holidays. Sending them regularly to loved ones helps you express yourself and nurture your personal relationships, resulting in a healthier mindset, improving your overall health, and boosting happiness (which in turn leads to greater productivity).
Write academic papers
You may cringe at the thought of returning to the days of thesis statements and transitional sentences. But writing academic essays helps develop your critical thinking skills, forces you to consider and balance arguments for and against a topic, and encourages you to think more deeply about complex topics. Plus, it'll hone your research skills.
Create jokes and funny stories
Making yourself think creatively in this manner is great for your productivity, as you're practicing using your brain in ways you're not used to, and you're developing new skills as you do so. As an added bonus, you'll soon be the life of the party, as you'll have a whole host of funny stories with which to regale your friends.
How to get started?
All you really need is a pen and paper, or even the Notes app on your phone. But if you're looking to further hone your writing skills and start making it an everyday habit, give these recommended resources a try:
- Zen Pen: Sitting down to write is one thing, but avoiding distractions is another. Zen Pen is an app that offers a clean, distraction-free way to focus on getting your thoughts on paper.
- ProWritingAid: This online app/service shows the grammatical and spelling errors in your writing, and provides suggested edits— so you can focus on getting your ideas down without worrying about typos.
- BoomEssays: If you're publishing your thoughts as blog posts online, you'll want your writing to be error-free. This service provides assistance and advice. And check out their writing blog for new skills and ideas.
- Hemingway App: This online editing app highlights run-on and complex sentences, keeping your writing bold and concise (just as Hemingway would want it).
- Wrike: Store and organize all your writing and ideas as tasks, and then share selected them with friends or colleagues to collaborate. They'll be able to leave comments on the entire work, or highlight specific sentences/paragraphs for editing.
Start Your Daily Writing Habit for Greater Productivity
Ready to give a daily writing habit a shot? Try these tips and tools, and you'll see your productivity start to soar. Who knows, you may even discover that you're a natural with the written word!
Author Bio:
Gloria Kopp is a web content writer and elearning consultant from Manville City. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, she started a career in creative writing and is currently working as a part-time editor and writer at Essayroo writing service. She has also recently launched her Studydemic educational blog.
