NicoleToday, I’m going to reveal the biggest lessons I’ve had so far in 2024 that will help you write consistently and without burnout.
Most writers jump into summer without reflecting on what they’ve learned in the first half of the year – and miss out on important insights and adjustments for the second half.
Here are 2 lessons that I learned (they will help you, too):
1. Flexibility is Key
My kids are neurodiverse and need regular time away from school to recover from overload.
This means I that my planned writing schedule will be interrupted, and routines will be broken.
I’ve found it hard to accept that, but I know that resistance will only drain all my energy.
However, I’ve found a trick that helps:
• I set myself a contingent of at least 4x 60-minute writing sprints across the week. I call them Power Hour.
• They are slotted into my calendar, but if one of my kids needs attention, I move them elsewhere (as long as I still do them).
This way, I can make progress in small, manageable chunks, even amidst the unpredictability that sometimes explodes my schedule and routines.
This will be especially useful during the patchy childcare I have during the summer holidays.
2. Prioritise Rest and say “no” more often
As a former burnout sufferer, I’ve learned the vital importance of prioritising rest.
Despite my natural drive to keep pushing forward with new projects and ideas, I realised I needed more downtime in the first half of 2024 (it was DARK in England).
I developed a helpful habit:
• I committed to taking one thing off my plate each week.
For example:
• I cancelled group writing session in a cafe (that would take me ages to get to)
• I gave up being a ‘perfect parent’ by giving my kids screen time so I could rest
• I moved all my scheduled podcast interviews for later in the year
Saying “no” is hard for me, because I don’t want to let others down.
But I needed that regular practice of setting boundaries. Every “no” was a self-care decisions to get space to recharge, and then write with better focus during my Power Hours.
Your reflection questions for the first half of 2024:
- What are your biggest wins between January and June 2024?
- What worked well?
- What got you stuck or frustrated?
- What lessons did you learn?
- What will you start/stop/continue doing July – December 2024?
If you’d like to implement what I taught today, here is your next step:
Order The Write Habit Planner to get weekly planning and reflection prompts (including saying “no”). You’ll also get a full page to reflect at the end of each month.
