6 unsexy steps to build a consistent writing routine:

Yo anon.

So, today’s a celebration.

It’s been 8 weeks since I haven’t missed a deadline on my weekly newsletter. And trust me, it feels so good to keep that streak going.

But it wasn’t easy to get it back up.
(that’s what she said..)

I’ve tried & failed multiple times in the past.

So, I had to build my writing routine from scratch to keep this streak going.

So today, I’ll show you the steps I took to build this writing routine that helped me stay consistent & ridiculously easy to show up:

Identify the best time to write

I prefer writing in mornings.

But it could be a different ball-game for you. You might not be a morning person like I am.

You might have different responsibilities & obligations.

That’s okay.

The goal is to find a time that suits you the best.

Ideally, it should be the time when you are least distracted & most focused.

For me, it’s morning 5 AM - 7 AM.

Since I find it easier to just wake up before the world does & not having to worry about the dozens of texts & emails that are bombarded through the day.

It could be late nights for you.

Just keep this in mind:

Find a time when you are most focused & least distracted.
Block it on the calendar.
Treat it like a non-negotiable appointment with yourself.

Now that you’ve found the ideal time block, it’s time to get your writing brain warmed up.

Have a pre-writing routine to get your mind warmed up

This is what works for me as a pre-writing warm up:

• Listen to some synthwave music

• Make a good cup of coffee

• Braindump for 10-15 minutes

• Read a good copywriting book

• Handcopy a sales page for 20-25 minutes

• Pull up an outline

• Start writing

This is pretty much it.

The magic with this routine is that by the time I’m making my coffee, my brain has already started going into the writing zone.

It could be simply reading a book or listening to a piece of music for you to get in the zone.

Whatever works, just stick with it.

Now, onto the next step.

Create a Dedicated Writing Space

This might be a bit controversial but having a dedicated writing space also helps you getting into flow state 10x faster.

Ideally, what I believe is you should be able to write anywhere & anytime, regardless of an ideal writing environment.

But if you are an absolute beginner, it helps if you have a dedicated writing space.

It primes your mind for the writing mode we talked about earlier.

Again, it should be a place where you should be least distracted.

And speaking of distractions:

Double down on distraction blockers

I have at least 2 distraction blockers turned on at a time.

Because I know my lazy procrastinating ass will find a way to disable one of those easily.

My choice of distraction blockers:

• Freedom

• Cold turkey

I have all the distracting sites (including twitter, linkedin & youtube) blocked when I am writing.

It’s easy to get distracted.

But how far you’ll go along your writing journey depends on your distraction management skills.

So, kill your distractions ruthlessly.

Have at least 2-3 outlines ready the night before

It’s easy to procrastinate & let go off your writing habit when you stare a blank page.

You will be overwhelmed & won’t write anyway.

So, have at least a starting point that gets your writing going.

I.e an outline.

With an outline, you already know what you’re going to talk about.

You just need to fill in the blanks with those outlines.

Easy-peasy.

Have a minimal viable output for days when you don’t feel like it

Despite all the fads, tips, tricks & sexy routines, there are always going to be times when you feel like giving up.

You don’t want to write.

You just want to quit.

And it won’t be the end of the world if you just took a day off.

But what’s much better is having a minimum viable output for those kinda days.

i.e:

Having a minimum word count or time limit to aim for when you don’t feel like writing.

Example:

Don’t feel like writing for 30 minutes? Write for 5.
Don’t feel like writing 400 words? Write 100.

It’s not about the quantity of the output.

It’s about building an identity, a habit to keep it going.

And that’s about it.

Did you enjoy reading this?

Tbh, I’m enjoying writing these newsletters more & more every week.

Hope you feel the same while reading it.

Do you have any questions?

Would you like me to cover any specific topics?

Feel free to reach out.

I will see you next time.

Cheers.

P.S: Whenever you’re ready, this is how I can help:

How to write banger threads in under 25 minutes (or less): A short 34-minute free course that shows you how to write an impactful long form content in less than 25 minutes. Click here to get it.

High Impact Writing: By far, the best course I’ve taken on online writing. Kieran covers all the basics (& more) that will help you write well & build a profitable brand online, without burning out. Click here to check it out.

Hit Publish Daily: A daily newsletter by my good friend Alin Dragu where he teaches how to become a better writer / copywriter, EVERY SINGLE DAY. Click here to join.