If you're like me and you feel like you didn't really maximise your writing prowess in 2023, this article is for you.
Last year was fun for me, they were happy moments and the sad ones. I seldom got exicited when I was following my writing routines and this usually happened when I got motivated by pro writers, inspirational vidoes, and the big wins of other writers, etc. This exicitement didn't last because I couldn't sustain the "fire".
Now that I realised the 3 mistakes I made, I want to share them with you so that you don't repeat the same cycle again.
Mistake 1: I depended on motivation and pressure to write. I love to write and it's something that I enjoy doing, but most times I only wrote when I saw the need to, not necessarily because I wanted to. So, what I started doing in December was to challenge myself to write everyday, for the whole month. This way, whether or not I was feeling like writing, I had to write.
Mistake 2: I didn't get my priorities right (Goals Setting). Most days, I didn't plan. I just let the day happen by chance, and this mistake cost me a lot of harm, as I didn't really know what to do at the right time. I got distracted doing so many things outside of writing that I forgot that writing was supposed to be a priority for me. So, the best thing to do is to plan your day, the day before so that you don't enter the next day clueless on what to do.
Mistake 3: I didn't put proper systems in place that helped me achieve my writing goals. I realized that humans are prone to mistakes, and that's natural. But when systems are set in place, they aid a person to minimise these mistakes. Personally, I didn't have systems in place to help me get the right thing done at the right time. So, from last year I got an accountability partner that made sure I wrote everyday (there was a fine to be paid if I missed any day), I'm also making sure I plan my day and stick to the set goals, and lastly I'm challenging myself to do better in 2024.
Writing is fun, but hard work also has to go into it for you to stand out, that's what I've realized overtime.
I made mistakes in 2023, I learnt from them, and I'm choosing to do better in 2024. I'm sure that you are too because that's why you're obviously reading this article. So learn from my mistakes that were probably your mistakes too and avoid them.
Thank you for reading, big cheers to a better 2024!