Here’s how to use your daily habits for writing better in less time

You’ve come up with an idea that writing is your everything. Day after day you write but waste too much time? If it’s so, this article would be the next step for you to validate your ideas better.

I write on a daily basis for my blog as well as for other publications. I am a big supporter of guest writing and make effort to ensure better writing.

The challenge: Content creation is time-consuming

• Content marketers handle several tasks: social media content (93%), newsletters (81%), articles for websites (79%), blogs (81%), in-person events (81%) and much more.

• The inadequate time ranks among the top challenges for 51% of content marketers, while 50% have a hard time producing truly engaging content.

• 76% of marketers will come up with more content this year as opposed to 2015.

Due to this, one has to come up and apply different techniques to become more fruitful and efficient as well as optimize their work for improved results.

Coming up with fresh content is hard work. I am left in awe and with questions each time I read literary works of Neil Patel, Rand Fishkin or even Jon Morrow. I asked myself how they come up with so many articles each and every week, alongside many other tasks to attend to.

Do they “work 80-hour weeks?” Do they have an “army of assistants?”

Somehow Neil Patel answered some of my many questions when he wrote ‘How to write 5 or more articles a week and not burn out, explaining the best techniques available for content marketers anytime and everywhere.

His article prompted me to think of adopting other habits for writing more content in less time.

Renowned writers didn’t hold themselves back from using their odd habits for more efficient work. Does it really make sense for them to follow their lead and find benefits in our love for coffee and music for better content writing?

I sampled what I do on a daily basis and decided to learn how to modify and develop them for writing better content in less time.

1. Read the news

I prefer reading news online. This routine is very advantageous especially to content writers:

• It betters one’s writing skills, leading to better cognitive skills and brain functioning. Additionally, it improves vocabulary.

• It creates ideas for new content.

• It adopts apprenticeship.

For this plan to be successful, desist from reading everyone and everything. Come up with a list of channels as well as resources that inspire you and educate you.

From personal experiences, I can say Moz, Copyblogger, Quicksprout as well as Smart Blogger provide the best aid in my field. Rand Fishkin and Neil Patel equip me with knowledge on all aspects and trends in content and internet marketing, whereas Brian Clark as well as Jon Morrow display the art of writing and motivate me to improve my writing skills.

Apps such as Digg or Newsbeat have come to my aid especially in organizing my newsfeed in a way that adopts and collects the most from my reading habit.

2. Freewriting

If you have a routine of waking up early, you free writing is on its course to development.

It’s a writing tactic described by Julia Cameron and Mark Levy as a way to free the intuitive power by laying all your worries open on a piece of paper. You simply start by writing three pages of text on a daily basis.

The topic shouldn’t be the issue. Just sit and write.

After it has grown, the habit of free writing can be helpful, including in providing topics for fresh content and hastening the process of coming up with drafts.

To cultivate this habit and apply it in content creation, basically, write at least three pages of text on a daily basis. Be simple and let your thoughts flow, write fast and allocate time frames.

I tried the technique after reading Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artist’s Way’. While I like staying up at night and it is difficult for me to wake up, I stuck to my word by writing three pages of text daily and even discovered the site 750 words. Working and spending 8-10 hours at a computer regardless the day of the week, I thought it would be easier for me to free write online.

The best assistance this website provided was its analytics and charts on every piece written.

I was able to analyze my work and see the improvements needed. I reduced distractions and wrote more authentic content.

I finally fell in love with free writing thanks to a master class by one local artist. I only needed a pen, a notebook and cappuccino.

She gave us three tasks

• 5 minutes to write about a recent problem and its solution. It only showed me how slow I was.

• 10 minutes to choose a topic from three and write about it. For faster writing, I learned how to use a hook while starting.

• 15 minutes to make a to-do list for 2016. I learned about concentration for time saving and creativity.

Freewriting has become a habit since it saves time for brainstorming and aids in the creativity of more writing ideas.

You could also try 750 words, Write or Die or Written? Kitten!

3. Drinking coffee

Drinking coffee on a daily basis has its benefits, too:

• It enhances productivity

• It contributes to one’s alertness

• It improves creativity and mood

Being a coffee addict, I can confess with confidence that coffee comes in handy with content marketing endeavors. Just determine when and how much you should drink for better writing.

I take two cups daily.

Although the perfect time is between 10 a.m. and noon, and between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., I take my first cup with milk early in the morning. It activates my workflow and gets me in the writing mood.

I take the second cup between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. This one works like a charging system to awaken spirits in turn supporting enough of productivity in the afternoon. With this cup, I am energized and I can research and write outlines comfortably.

4. Plan everything in advance

Are you exemplarily organized? I have this urge of want to be ahead of the game and plan everything two or three months prior to the headline.

The habits helps a lot:

• A better and more organized research results.

• It prompts quickness due to the time limits

• You are your own boss while planning and scheduling

I chose Trello to make this habit of planning flourish. It has convenient keyboard shortcuts that manage tasks with a single click. Additionally, it uses Google Drive integration and desktop notifications to share and edit content fast and recall deadlines.

Asana, Evernote or Wunderlist are worth exploring also.

5. Listening to music

This is a favorite for me.

Working in an open-plan office it has helped me avoid the troubles that come with it.

It keeps me concentrated on the work, lowers frustration and leads to speedy and perfect writing.

It has improved my writing accuracy.

From Neil Patel’s advice on “youifying” content, music cheers me up, I receive inspiration, aroused creativity and consistency in production.

I also save on writing time:

• It locks out disturbance

• It awakens thinking

• It makes writing fun

• It raises efficiency

Many studies ascertain music’s positive influence on results and efficiency at work. The university of Birmingham concludes that music makes repetitive work fun. A research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute concludes that music boosts moods and helps with focus.

Tasks requiring more brainpower, for better results, deserve listening to sounds of nature, songs without lyrics as well as classical music.

Sate any other daily habits you use for writing and organizing content and time and how all these work for you.

Author's Note

Scott Ragin is a passionate writer who draws the inspiration from something that really means the most to him: his readers. Scott is a writing expert at Aussiessay.com. He loves guiding other people through their writing practice and shares his ideas as a blogger.