 Hello, hello, writers. I'm Christine Kiefer, author of fantasy fiction and creative writing resources and you are listening to the Well-Sturried podcast where I share insights, encouragement and actionable advice designed to help you craft sensational novels and build your best writing life, always in 30 minutes or less, so you can get back to writing, of course. Ready for the show? Let's get talking. Writers, welcome or welcome back to the Well-Sturried podcast. I'm your host, Christine Kiefer, and today is Monday, January 11th, 2021. Today's episode is titled, How to Maintain Creative Momentum with Habit Tracking. If you'd like to read along as you listen in, visit well-sturried.com Now let's get started. Want to create a better, stronger writing habit? Here on the Well-Sturried podcast, I often talk about the many reasons writers fail to put pen to paper or fingers on the keys, including time, doubts, creative resistance, perfectionism, imposter syndrome and burnout. But what about those of us who are looking to maintain or even improve upon the writing habits we've already worked to build? Today, I'd like to share the easiest way to double down on your commitment to the craft. Habit tracking. What is habit tracking exactly? In its most basic form, habit tracking is the act of logging each time you complete a habit you're working to build or maintain. Habit tracking itself can be beneficial for several reasons. Firstly, it serves as a visual reminder to complete your desired habit. Secondly, it provides proof of your commitment, creating a sense of pride and accomplishment. And thirdly, it encourages a sense of healthy pressure and motivation. Those looking to build habits that lack short-term gratification or an immediate sense of notable progress, such as writing a novel, may find habit tracking especially helpful. After all, it often takes months or even years of difficult, determined work to complete any major aspect of the writing process, such as prewriting, drafting, researching or revising. It's no wonder many writers struggle to maintain a sense of momentum in their craft. I've often shared how breaking down large goals such as finishing a draft or revising a manuscript into daily or weekly benchmark goals can help writers find a sense of accomplishment in their everyday work. Pairing this practice with habit tracking, the act of marking down each time you complete your daily or weekly benchmark goal can help you transform that sense of everyday accomplishment into ongoing creative momentum. Even if you feel miles away from finishing your draft or publishing your book, habit tracking gives evidence to the fact that you're putting in the work to make those goals happen. Your log reminds you to write despite life's distractions and it motivates you to pick up the pen to add another check mark to the long list of finished writing sessions you've already accumulated. In short, habit tracking is a simple but powerful motivational trick designed to help you push through resistance and write. Again and again and again. But should you track your writing habit in greater detail? Tracking your writing habit can be as simple as noting whether you wrote on any particular day. But if you want to improve your focus and efficiency as you write, tracking your writing habit in greater detail can help you identify key insights and areas in need of improvement such as where and when you complete your best work, which activities and circumstances steal your creative energy and which internal roadblocks commonly disrupt your focus and motivation. Tracking the finer details of a habit is a common way to seek intentional improvement regardless of one's hobby or craft of choice. Consider marathon runners who track when and where they run, how much distance they cover and what they eat before hitting the road, or language learners who log how much time they study, which tools they use to practice, and which aspect of the language they focused on learning that particular day. The elements of your writing habit that you choose to track are up to you. If you're struggling to gain a sense of creative confidence and momentum, then you may wish to log various pertinent aspects of your practice. If you simply want to maintain the habit you've already built, then keeping things simple is a-okay. Here are the elements I choose to track when my writing practice could use some shoring up. First, energy level. How much mental, emotional, or creative energy am I bringing to my writing session today? For example, high, medium, or low. Current project, what project do I intend to work on, and what large milestone goal am I working toward? So, for example, lady legacy, finish the fourth draft. Current benchmark, what small goal do I aim to achieve each day or week as I work toward completing my milestone goal? For example, write for 30 minutes a day, or write 5,000 words a week. Doubts or limiting beliefs. What internal struggle or struggles am I bringing to this writing session? For example, I'm worried I can't fix this chapter, or I feel like I'm never going to be a real writer. Affirmations. What words of truth can I remind myself to refocus these negative thoughts? For example, I'm capable of completing difficult creative work, or I'm a real writer if I sit down and write, simple as that. Story issues. Are there any issues within my manuscript that I'd like to address in this writing session? For example, I've been editing too much as I write, or I need to make sure my character's motivations are clear in this chapter. Strategy. How do I intend to work through or resolve the story issues I'm experiencing? For example, I'm going to try writing sprints, or I'm going to clarify my character's motivations before writing. Session goal. What would I like to accomplish during my writing session? For example, write at least 300 words or revise for at least 20 minutes. Then, start time and end time, which are of course when I began writing and when I finished writing. Session output and accomplishments. What did I achieve during my writing session? For example, I wrote 550 words. I revised two chapters. I created a list of agents I'd like to query, or I researched important topics for 30 minutes. And notes. Any thoughts I'd like to add concerning my writing session? For example, I started researching 90s pop culture and got distracted by an old Spice Girls music video. Try to avoid this tomorrow. As with any personal practice, there is no right way to track your writing habit. You can log your practice in as much or as little detail as you'd like. You can track your progress on paper or digitally. You can share your progress online or keep your habit private. The choice is up to you. Finding the best habit tracking process may take a bit of time and exploration. But if you're ready to commit to maintaining or even deepening your practice, then I encourage you to give habit tracking a try. If you're tracking your writing habit in great detail, I recommend completing a weekly or monthly check-in to review the data you've collected. In doing so, you may find issues within your writing habit that you wish to address, such as ongoing limiting beliefs or distractions, or ways to improve your writing practice, such as writing in a particularly productive location or limiting the length of your writing sessions to avoid burnout. Can you see just how powerful habit tracking can be? If you're ready to dive in ASAP, then you may enjoy downloading the free writing habit tracker I've created, which logs each of the items I discussed in this episode. This habit tracker is available in two formats, a printable PDF for manual tracking and a notion template for digital tracking. To download or access your preferred format today, simply head on over to our episode transcript at www.well-storade.com. I hope you enjoy this practice as much as I do, writer. Happy writing! Thank you for listening to today's episode of the podcast, writer. I hope you found it helpful to your writing journey. If so, make sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a new episode, and to give the podcast a quick rating or review. Doing so goes a long way toward helping the podcast reach new writers and lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm creating. You can also give me a shout out directly on Instagram at Kristen underscore keeper. For additional guidance as you work to craft sensational novels and build your best writing life, be sure to head on over to www.well-storade.com where I share blog posts, workbooks, e-courses, and other helpful resources for writers. Again, that's W-E-L-L-S-T-O-R-I-E-D.com. Thank you again for tuning into today's episode, my friend. Until next time, happy writing!