The write everyday challenge
If you're currently luxuriating in the freedom of summer, writing regularly, going for walks, enjoying the low number of emails in your inbox BUT simultaneously feeling a creeping dread that it's almost over then keep reading...
Or perhaps you enjoy the anticipation of a new academic year, a fresh start, new students and courses, crunchy leaves falling from the trees... but also you know that your regular writing and research time will disappear in the haze of Freshers Week, start of year meetings and queues outside your office door.
Or maybe you're on sabbatical like me (soznotsoz) and are simply wanting to get your arse in the chair and words on the page on a regular basis.
Either way, I'm here to tell you that a daily writing practice is the answer to your woes. And there's no time like the present.
I've written previously that you don't have to write every day if you don't want. And academia is seasonal -- it will be much easier to do this some seasons than others. BUT if you can start embedding a daily practice now, before things get crazy, then your research productivity will skyrocket, with actually minimal effort from you. Just 15 minutes a day would suffice!
What do I recommend?
I recommend starting at 30 minutes a day, and doing that first thing in the morning, whatever that looks like for you. So that might be:
First thing when you arrive in the office (lock the door and cover the window if you need to)
On your commute if you go by train
Before you leave for work, in your PJs
I'm not the kind of productivity coach that's going to tell you to get up at 5am and get some writing in before the kids wake up. If you're knackered and mornings are chaotic for you right now, choose a time in the day where you can sneak off and get some writing done and you won't be disturbed. Perhaps a cafe on campus where no-one can find you at 2pm, treat yourself to a coffee and bash out some words for 30 mins. Choose now when you'll do it.
That said, there's a difference between writing in the mornings being a total wrench and maybe not good for this particular period of your life vs. you don't want to do it and really can't be arsed (CBA). The better you get at tuning in with yourself and your inner thoughts and feelings, the better you will get at ascertaining which is which. If it's CBA, the best thing you can do for yourself is do it anyway. Discipline is sacrifice today for results tomorrow. Who you show up as when you can't be arsed will be directly correlated with your research productivity. That goes for other areas of life too.
And do you know what the good news is? It gets better. It gets so much better! Once you have a few days in the bag, and you're not being perfectionist over what comes out and you're simply getting arse in chair and words on the page, you will actually start to feel excited about your project again. The dread and confusion starts to dissipate and things begin to get clearer.
