If You Want to Write More, Track Your Writing

Yesterday I wrote about getting back in the habit of writing every day. One of the most powerful ways to build that habit is to track your writing.

It’s simple: Keep a record of everything you write today. Do it every day for a week and see what you get done. Darren Hardy writes about the benefits of this practice in The Compound Effect,

“When you track (your habits) with this awareness, you’ll find yourself showing up in your life very differently.”

Here’s what I wrote today.

• A 900 word rough draft of a post for a client.
• 3 A4 pages of my novel.
• 1 Medium post.
• A draft of a pitch for an article.

With a little math, I can see where today’s effort could lead if I make it habitual. At the rate I worked today, I’ll write around 300 posts for work this year (assuming 6 day weeks). I’ll finish the first draft of my novel in six weeks.

Not bad for a Saturday.