Consistency is a powerful tool in the arsenal of any digital writer.
Writing consistently has always been my biggest challenge. Early this year, I decided to write and publish a blog post every Monday and Thursday. It didn't matter if anyone read my post; what mattered was that I published twice a week; that was my only objective.
Embarking on a journey of publishing blog posts regularly was a big challenge as a full-time working mom, but the experience has been incredibly enlightening. Here are five key learnings and insights I've gained from the experience:
1. Plan Postings in Advance
One of the most effective strategies I’ve adopted is planning my postings in advance.
I map out my topics, write them in advance, and schedule my posts, usually about one month in advance. This practice allows me to focus more on the quality of my writing rather than stressing out scrambling for ideas and writing at the eleventh hour.
2. Building a Routine is Challenging
Establishing a consistent writing routine is no easy feat.
There have been days when sticking to my schedule felt like an uphill battle, but I've learned that persistence is key. I set my alarm for Sunday mornings between 10:30 am and 12.30 pm as a reminder that it is my writing time. It's still a struggle to integrate writing into my weekends because sometimes life happens, and you need to reprioritise, but whenever possible, I write at the assigned time. If not, I'll reschedule my writing time for a workable slot. I don't panic if I fall behind because I have pre-scheduled posts that will publish automatically.
While consistency is key, flexibility is also important. As parents, our free time is often taken up by driving our kids to their extracurricular activities, birthday parties, or play dates. So, I take a more flexible approach to my writing schedule but stay consistent with writing two hours or so every week.
3. Use AI Tools to Ease Writing Process
Leveraging AI tools has been a big game-changer in my writing process.
Tools like grammar checkers, content generators, and idea brainstorming apps have streamlined my workflow and helped me overcome writer’s block. While I have been experimenting with various AI tools, my usual go-to's are Grammarly, Perplexity, and Copilot. These tools have helped me save time, and writing content is far easier now than when I started writing 20 years ago.
4. Embrace Imperfections
Perfectionism can be a significant barrier to consistent publishing. I’ve learned to embrace imperfections and understand that not every piece needs to be flawless. By allowing myself to publish work that may not be perfect, I’ve been able to focus on progress and continuous improvement rather than getting stuck in the pursuit of perfection.
5. Staying Accountable
Accountability has been crucial in maintaining my consistency. Whether it’s setting personal deadlines or sharing my goals with other digital writers in my writing group, the support system has helped keep me on track.
The past three months of consistent publishing have been a journey of growth, learning, and self-discovery. I am very proud to have been able to write and publish consistently for the past three months. I intend to continue writing consistently on this site but will start distributing my blog posts on other sites. At the moment, I am also learning as much as possible about LinkedIn, as I intend to start writing on that platform.
I’m excited to see where it will lead and what new lessons I’ll learn.
