The Productivity Formula

“I’m a morning person,” we all say.Well, maybe a lot of us add a NOT in there, but the point is everyone has a time of day they either know they’re on top of life or know they need to pop some popcorn and accept it’s Netflix-time.But does productivity come at just one specific time of day? Or could there be a whole other array of productivity boosters we should be tapping into?I was watching an online presentation by author,Gretchen Rubin, on productivity and she said something that really struck me–hit me right in that sticky spot on the brain that goes “Of course!”She said (and I’m paraphrasing) if you want to be productive again, think back to times you were successful and try to recreate those circumstances.That’s what I did. I wrote down the three projects I’ve written solo that rushed out of me in a torrent. Before this moment, I always assumed I had written these books in a flurry of inspiration.This is false.Looking back on how I wrote these projects, other than my obvious (caffeine), there were a few things that I did consistently throughout the drafting process.1. I wrote early in the morning.2. I wrote in the same place3. I did writing sprints with author friends4. I stayed off social media during writing time5. I scheduled but didn’t planSo this month I challenge you to get out a piece of paper and jot down a time where everything was working and inspiration was flowing. Mark down everything you can remember around that success. What you wore, what you ate, when/how/where you wrote, anything you can think of. Is there a pattern? Some/many things you did repeatedly throughout the draft?Now try to recreate those circumstances in any way you can.Just remember that like with any formula, it will take some time to perfect it. You'll have to cut and paste a bit, but I promise it's there.If you are unable to think back to a time that everything just worked, that's okay. Keep your eyes open and look for your boosters. Keep track of your time and remember what was happening on the good days.Take control of your writing time and make it work for you.Because the difference between inspiration and productivity is control.***Sign up for the Quirks and CommasNewsletterwhere I’ll go more in depth about how I figured out my formula and made it work for me.