10 Time Management Techniques Every Writer Should Know
Composing text might be challenging! Also, you often overlook the fact that using your pen, opening your computer, or pressing the keyboard will not make miracles happen.
So, there are a few other activities you will have to do in addition to writing on the paper. You will have to conduct some research on the topic, make the outline for the article, and write the first draft for your article. Then, you need to proofread the text of the paper, write emails, attend some conferences, and submit the paper in time.
This way, your every single day consists of so many tasks that make you exhausted and might also be rather complicated. Thus, you should learn 10 time management techniques that help you finish your day-to-day tasks efficiently!
1. Attain Setting Goals
Many people set some expectations for themselves which are impossible to meet. This can leave you wondering if it’s worth it to keep trying to write. Writing is easier than it seems – you only need to open a document and get started, right?
Writing has many stages including researching, outlining, drafting, revising and editing, with each stage having its own challenges. In writing, one can become overwhelmed with the number of tasks even if the tasks aren’t related to the writing itself. Rather than concentrating on achieving maximum productivity, the writer should focus on the evaluation of pending tasks, managing their time, and prioritizing activities.
After all, writing is such an innovative skill that requires practice, and it will most likely take more than one draft to get everything right. This is one of the top 10 time management techniques that will help you get through writing smoothly, whether you are a freelancer, content writer, copywriter, blogger, or a student.
Determine what precisely you want to accomplish instead of simply writing ‘work on my essay’. It’s better to formulate precise but simple steps like ‘draft the introduction and two paragraphs’ to have a clear vision of your progress.
2. Prioritize Tasks By Urgency And Importance
Not all activities are equal. One simple method is the Eisenhower Matrix created by Dwight Eisenhower. This method splits tasks into two categories: urgent and important. An example of the first type is a client’s revision due today, while the second type might be thinking of ideas for the content next month.
This is one of the best time management techniques that help writers avoid getting caught by regular tasks and small requests for the first hours of work while an important deadline comes closer. It follows the basic rule: do what is right before choosing what is necessary.
3. Try Time Blocking
Time blocking (also known as time boxing) is a method where you allocate your working time to categorize of work. It is about reserving certain parts of your day for specific but broad types of work, rather than leaving your whole day completely open and trying to figure out what to do.
An example of a time blocking could look like this:
9:00-10:30: Research
10:30-12:00: Drafting
1:00-2:00: Editing
2:00-2:30: Emails and messages
3:00-4:00: Revisions
The allocation of time to work categorizes does not have to be necessarily strict. The point is to protect your working time with important types of work.
Time blocking could be super helpful to writers who often find themselve jumping across tasks, chasing emails, editing, researching, and so on. Time blocks allow you to set aside larger chunks of your day to focus on a category of work so that you can put your undivided attention into it.
4. The Pomodoro Technique
The pomodoro time management method is made up of dividing work into short units of work and rest. In the original model, you have a period of 25 minutes of work followed by a short break (5 minutes). Then take a long break of 15-20 minutes after completing 4 pomodoro.
However, for a writer, this could be useful if the person has to write while facing a blank page or trying to deal with multiple distractions. The technique works by allocating a fixed length of time to every activity.
With regards to content creation, it can be really tempting to get bogged down on unimportant aspects of the content creation. This can take the form of spending hours searching through references, changing the titles over and over, or tweaking words and phrases which have no effect on the overall message of the content.
5. Timeboxing: Assign Specified Time To Every Task
A writer must plan their timings for research, writing, proofreading, and analysis. This allows structuring work without compromising quality and clarity.
Timeboxing is unlike time blocking, another technique in productivity, since it applies to a specific task rather than an amount of work. It means you simply open the calendar and mark a chunk of time that you want to spend for a certain task in future.
6. Batch Similar Writing Tasks Together
Switching back and forth between different types of tasks can create a sense of a broken writing day. If a writer has multiple articles to edit and upload, they can spend one block of time doing research, write in another block, and revise during the third block.
Grouping similar activities reduces the amount of time that a person spends switching between different activities.
Asana defines task batching as ‘grouping similar tasks and focusing on them in one period’ and ‘reducing context switching’. As per their research, 85% of Fortune 100 companies choose Asana for task batching. The benefits of batching tasks include giving opportunity for focus and increasing time spent on important activities.
7. Focus On One Task At A Time
Many people multitask but focusing on a lot of things make things difficult. Instead of trying to write an introduction while answering messages, replying to an e-mail and researching another topic, you should try picking out one of the tasks and focusing all your attention on it.
If an idea pops in your head about something else that you want to do during this time, note it down in a little “later” list.
8. Set Daily Writing Goals
Breaking down a large assignment into micro tasks makes the work load easier to handle by allowing one to see how much work they have been able to complete every day. Your daily goal will need to be worded, unit based, research based or be time consuming.
You could set a goal of completing seven hundred words a day, finishing up chapters, completing your research, or spending two hours working on your article. It is best to set a daily goal that you know you can accomplish without having to work overtime every day, as this will not be sustainable in the long term.
Worthy time management techniques are to designate big tasks as your daily focus. Atlassian’s Daily North Star is a good example, as it asks you to pick a major task to focus on and spend the day working on it. Also, research shows that a realistic plan like Gaily North Star aids you to optimize your time for maximum focus and success.
9. Leave Time For Editing And Unexpected Work
One of the easiest mistakes that people tend to make is to structure their entire day around their writing. Most of the time, writing and time management methods don’t come out as smoothly as we’d like it to.
For instance, our research ends up taking a while, a client has asked for edits, or there’s some out-of-the-blue meeting that has been scheduled. So, do n’t plan your whole day ahead; leave some free time between writing tasks.
A possible solution to this issue is to set aside time for editing and rewriting as a separate task. While working on the first draft, it is important not to revise and save it as a separate task. One has to rewrite later when they have enough time and energy to perfect one’s text, structure, grammar, diction, formatting, research, and many other details.
10. Review How You Spend Your Time
One of the most useful 10 time management techniques for writers is to plan daily tasks realistically and avoid taking on too much work. Using the Pomodoro time management method can also help writers stay focused by working for a set period and taking short breaks between sessions.
How can writers choose the right time management method?
There is nothing universal and obligatory in a writer’s planning and time management methods. One should choose the techniques based on the current challenges they encounter.
If one tends to prioritize the tasks poorly, the Eisenhower Matrix is a great tool for prioritizing and planning.
If the writer’s productivity is low due to disorganization, time blocking will bring order and discipline.
Meanwhile, procrastination as a symptom of low productivity can be addressed with the help of Pomodoro time management technique, which makes the writing process more tangible and less overwhelming.
In turn, time boxing is a great technique for those who struggle with spending too much time on a particular task.
Moreover, it’s possible to combine the discussed methods during one writing session to achieve better results. For example, it might help to plan the daily tasks according to the Eisenhower Matrix, time block during the day to work on writing tasks, and use the Pomodoro Technique to write itself.
A good time management plan should not advise a writer to work non-stop but rather allow to plan the work and rest for the hours accordingly. Especially, it becomes helpful when it comes to a creative activity like writing, which requires inspiration and flow of ideas. With time management skills, a writer will be able to get even more out of writing following their productivity pattern while not overworking themselves and wasting time.
