Okay, so you took a break from writing.
You were on a writing roll, making incredible progress, and then life happened.
You had a birthday weekend.
Or you had a lovely four-day holiday weekend where you put your writing aside to cherish time with family and friends.
Now you’ve returned to writing and feel like you’ve lost momentum.
Which is so disappointing because you were doing so well.
Don’t worry.
In fact, that may be my first piece of advice to you.
Before you let the fear, doubt, and negative self-talk flood in.
STOP
Give yourself grace
Remember the fantastic moments you’ve just experienced – those cherished times with family and friends or that much-needed solo relaxation.
Whatever it was, it was much needed.-
It’s perfectly okay to take a break from writing.
Your inspiration and talent aren’t going anywhere.
Be kind to yourself.
Allow yourself that break.
Don’t berate yourself because writing doesn’t flow as it once did after your break.
It’s a process. Give yourself time to settle back into the routine of writing.
That brings me to my next suggestion.
Get back into a routine.
A writing routine is important because it helps trigger your creativity.
It is vital that you create a routine that reinforces a consistent habit of writing.
It tells your mind that it is time to focus on writing.
Consistency is key.
Find a consistent time and place for your writing sessions. Write regularly at the same place and time to create a positive association with the writing process.
Creating this structure helps your brain associate that space and time with writing, letting those creative juices flow.
A routine provides the structure needed to push through any writer’s block or procrastination you’re dealing with by reducing excuses to avoid writing.
If you’re having trouble easing back into your routine…
Start small.
Before the break, you could consistently write for hours every day, and now the words are just not flowing.
That’s okay.
Start small.
Start with shorter writing sessions, maybe only 10 to 15 minutes.
In that time, try a brain dump or focus on a topic you always enjoyed writing about.
If you can handle more structure, pick a topic from your editorial journal, jot some ideas on the page, or create an outline.
Don’t pressure yourself to write an entire blog post if it doesn’t come naturally yet.
Focus on the incremental progress and gradually increase your writing duration as you become more comfortable.
Set specific goals
But let’s not linger in that comfort zone too long.
The aim isn’t to spend half the month crafting endless outlines.
I suggest that you set specific goals.
Define your writing goals, like how many posts you want to finish by a specific date.
This will ensure that you stay motivated.
That you continue to nudge yourself out of your comfort zone.
The idea is to start small and build momentum over time.
I don’t want you to stay stagnant in your writing process where you are not achieving your goals.
So, to avoid doing that, begin reintroducing your writing goals into your process.
Reflect on your progress and adjust your goals
An important thing to remember is to reflect on the progress you’re making and adjust your goals and habits to continue to push yourself.
I always advocate for focusing on the positive and celebrating your wins.
You started off being harsh with yourself for falling off your writing routine.
But look at you now, back in the saddle and making strides. That’s a massive achievement!
Acknowledge that progress.
Acknowledge that you still haven’t given up.
That’s huge!
I’m proud of you!
And you should be, too!
You are regaining your momentum.
Now, use that to achieve your next goal. And the next.
Remember to stay flexible, constantly adjusting your habits to push you out of your comfort zone and propel you towards the next step in achieving your goal.
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I just want you to get started.
The longer you delay, the harder it will be to regain momentum.
So, after you’re done reading this, sit down and write.
Follow the steps I suggested and focus on getting back to the habit of writing.
You just need to get back into your routine.
That will empower you to make steady progress, tap into your creativity, and get back to achieving your writing goals.
Your writing journey is a continuous adventure, and breaks are a natural part of it.
Embrace them, use them as a source of renewal, and then, with determination and these tips in mind, get back to your writing journey stronger than ever.
Even if your goal is to just spend 30 minutes working on the blog and all that you’ve accomplished is reading another article about starting a blog.
That’s a win! Because it’s information you didn’t have before.
That’s one step closer to your blog.
Focusing on celebrating your wins will motivate you to persevere.
And over time, you’ll find that you’ve built a habit.
Over time, you’ll find you’re more motivated than when you started.
You’ll find that your passion for this goal has grown because you persevered and you didn’t stop.
Instead, you focused on trying to improve yourself so that you could successfully make gains toward your goal.
All of that is a win!
By focusing on your wins, it will help you to minimize the negatives.
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One of my worst habits is focusing on the negative and discounting the positive.
So, I end up easily discouraged and susceptible to fear, doubt, and negative self-talk.
You’re not good enough.
You’re never going to accomplish this goal.
All of those thoughts are lies.
The only way that you fail is by quitting.
Or not even trying.
So keep trying!
That will get you one step closer to successfully accomplishing your goal.
Whether your goal is to start a YouTube channel. A blog. Open an e-commerce business.
Whatever your goal is, just keep trying!
Every step you take is a win and a step closer to your goal.
Recognize and applaud these wins to keep yourself motivated and develop a habit of progress.
Embrace the journey, celebrate your wins, and stay motivated by focusing on the bigger picture – your ultimate dream.
By implementing these strategies and embracing the mindset shift needed to see setbacks as opportunities, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.