H is for Habits (and Hobbits)

Our lives are run by them, both good and bad. The habits, I mean, not Hobbits. (Although that could be potentially awesome...) Anyway, that means our writing often happens or doesn't depending on our habits. Or our habits can make writing easier or harder.

Sometimes we get into the bad habit of putting things in the way of our writing time, like coming home from work and watching TV or doing the dishes right before bed instead of writing. Or we get out of the habit of blogging or tweeting as often as we know we should.

There are good habits, too. Some are simply the opposite of the bad ones, like sticking to our writing time. Sometimes they're good luck rituals that help us get in the mood, like a habit of having a bowl of Waffle Crisp before you sit down at your writing desk. If it helps, then it's probably a good thing.

A stable schedule helps me get in good habits more than anything else. When my day is laid out in front of me all nice and planned, then I can just move forward through the day, writing and blogging and gyming like I know I should and things don't tend to get in the way. But when I meander and get lax, then bad habits start creeping in.

So if you find bad habits getting in the way of your productivity, set a schedule for yourself and commit to following it. Maybe you can have friends remind you, or put up reminder notes around your desk of why you're committed in the first place, have a power song in mind to pump you up when you're feeling the laziness coming and motivation lacking.

What other habits should we be wary of? Any tips or experiences overcoming them?


Oh, and as for the hobbits, here's the best one of them all:

 Happy Monday!

Sarah Allen