Why Your Writing Habit Isn’t Broken—It Just Needs Recalibrating
Focusing on what has worked in the past can be helpful for building momentum now.
One of the most common things I hear from my writing clients is that they’re struggling to stick to a writing schedule or organize their research into a plan that actually works. They come to me feeling like they’re missing some secret strategy—like if they could just find the right method, the words would flow easily, the research would fall into place, and the book would practically write itself.
I get it. It makes perfect sense to think that way. We’re surrounded by promises of “ultimate productivity hacks” and “perfect systems” that supposedly make everything easier.
But, of course, you already know the truth in your bones: there’s no one-size-fits-all writing schedule or magical project plan that works seamlessly through every season of life. And it's not because you're doing it wrong; it's because life changes, priorities shift, and what worked before may not work in the same way for you now.
To be clear, it's not that we don't all have new things to learn and improve upon; it's just that sometimes all we need is to return to what was working and build from there.
Skills vs. Practices
Time management, setting priorities, and organizing your research—all of these are skills, sure. But skills become ingrained and actually useful when you think of them as practices. Practices are things you come back to, over and over again. They aren’t static, and they aren’t supposed to be perfect. You don’t just learn to manage a big project once and then do it flawlessly forevermore. If only!
Maybe the strategies that got you through your dissertation did work. In fact, they probably worked really well! But that was back when you had longer stretches of uninterrupted time, maybe even full days dedicated to reading, writing, and research. Now, life is different. Maybe you’re teaching multiple classes, advising students, handling administrative tasks, or trying to balance all that with family life.
The strategies aren’t bad—they just need to evolve with you. Sometimes, the organizational methods that kept you on track last semester suddenly feel like they’re held together with string and wishful thinking. It doesn’t mean they’re broken. It just means you might need to dust them off, tweak them a bit, and build from there.
When Things Fall Apart
One of the first things I ask clients who come to me feeling at a loss is this:
What’s worked for you before?
We then dig further:
What felt good about those strategies? What could be tweaked to fit your current situation? Are there similar things you could try that might produce similar results?
I often start by revisiting what has worked in the past to help regain momentum. Usually, there’s a new challenge in the mix, and our task is to figure out how to adapt those effective strategies to fit this new context. Your practice has to adapt to the new circumstances.
You can use the questions listed above to build on what has previously worked for you. Just because you didn't stick to the habit does not mean it wasn't beneficial. We all know that eating vegetables and going to the gym make us feel better—just because we stop doesn’t mean those habits are ineffective.
In Sum
In the end, there’s no magical project plan that will solve every consistency problem. But you don’t need one. You just need a practice: a set of strategies that you can revisit, modify, and adapt as your life and career evolve.
The next time you find yourself feeling like your writing schedule is crumbling or your project plan is off the rails, maybe it’s not broken. Maybe it just needs to be recalibrated for where you are right now. And if you’re feeling really stuck, that’s what I’m here for.