Energize your writing sessions with one of my favorite hacks
A fun way for solopreneurs to get motivated, stay focused and find accountability in your work week.
There’s a meme that makes its rounds in writer’s groups that says “I need to write and my house has never been cleaner.”
The idea of writing often sounds romantic, cozy, and dreamy —when we’re off doing other things. The reality often goes something like this…
You set aside a time block. And when the time comes, you sit down, fire up your computer and then stare at the teasing blinking cursor on the blank page.
Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a million other things become a pressing priority.
That refrigerator isn’t going to clean itself.
Whoa, I better get a head start on the laundry.
Did I water the plants? Maybe I better go do that.
I better check on Jeanie. She was having a hard time last week.
I need a snack.
I get it. I’ve been ^^there^^ more times than I’d like to admit! Here’s my two-step solution.
First, know your why.
Have you ever seen the movie The Coal Miner’s Daughter starring Sissy Spacek? Quick synopsis… It’s the incredible story of country singer Loretta Lynn’s unlikely rise to stardom after growing up dirt-poor in Butcher Hollow, Kentucky. Married at 16, she and her husband “Doo” had six children.
I saw this movie eons ago, but there’s one part that’s had a lasting impression on me as a creator. A young Loretta is sitting on her front porch trying to teach herself to play the guitar. She’s got a load of laundry going that’s making an unholy racket in an old rust bucket of a washing machine, kids are running all over the place and it’s pouring down rain.
Nevertheless, she presses on because she’s passionate about her craft, her music. It would have been understandable if she’d said, “Oh, to hell with it. I’ll wait until the kids are all grown up and I have some free time.”
Chances are we never would have gotten the Loretta Lynn we are familiar with or the songs that made her famous.
She didn’t let things like laundry, kids running around or a messy house distract her from her craft. She poured her frustrations and her stories into her songs.
Of course, you may be thinking, well, I’m not looking for stardom here, I just want to get a blog post up, create an email campaign or plan my social media for the month. And, it’s just. Not. Happening.
First, think about why you do what you do. Write it down on a Post-it note and put it on your computer if it helps.
Next, I want you to sit your cute butt back in your chair because this next tactic will help you get your writing done and help you with accountability.
Circle round.
There’s something magical about group energy when you aren’t feeling motivated. Being around people who are diligently plugging away on their tasks can be an effective way to light a fire under your own dragging feet.
Energy is contagious so it makes sense that you can boost your energy when you surround yourself with people who are motivated and focused and will be asking you questions like, “How did it go? What did you get done?”
That’s why I highly recommend creating a co-working meet-up. These can be done in person at your favorite cafe, a study room at the library or virtually.
My co-working group meets once a week on Zoom for two hours. That way we don’t have to worry about fighting traffic, getting put off by bad weather or reserving rooms.
As solo entrepreneurs, we’re able to replicate the feeling of community that people in an office setting get—except in this instance we get to choose our coworkers!
Here’s what our co-working sessions look like:
8:45 a.m. (optional) Anyone who wants to show up early to catch up before the work session begins logs in. This is a great time to chit-chat, ask a question and/or set intentions for your writing sprints.
9 a.m. Official start time. The first 30-minute working session begins. Assign one person to be the timer or you can use an app like the Llama Life timer, which shows up on the screen and all participants can see. Everyone mutes themselves and turns off their cameras.
9:30 a.m. Break for five to 10 minutes to talk through any problems, give an update on progress, refresh your water, etc. Sometimes people are so focused at this point, the break only lasts for a few minutes.
9:40- 10:10 Second 30-minute writing sprint/work session.
10:10 -10:20 Break.
10:20 - 10:50 Third 30-minute writing sprint/work session.
10:50 - 11 a.m. Closing conversation.
Be flexible. Although attendance isn’t mandatory to be part of the group (because, you know, life), at least one other person is always there.
Some people jump in for just one writing sprint during the time block, others stay for the entire session.
Several members show up religiously because it’s blocked on their calendars. Others show up sporadically as their schedule allows.
How do co-working sessions help?
According to Mona Raglow, the mother of the MonaPlanner and time management expert (yes, I’ve quoted her before because she’s brilliant), research shows that when you have a specific accountability appointment with another person, you’re 95% more likely to reach your goal. (!)
I’m forever grateful to my friend who spearheaded this group four years ago. Because I look forward to joining this group each week, I rarely miss a meeting.
The accountability and concentrated time block have been instrumental in helping me move through projects and stay motivated. Plus, I’ve built lasting friendships with people who I also enjoy meeting up with for the periodic breakfast, lunch or coffee outside of our normal meetings.
But don’t take it only from me. Here’s what several members of my co-working group had to say.
“This is a sacred time for me. It’s the one time of my week when I’m most productive. It fills my cup.”
“I love the sense of community and the accountability. This group was a big lifeline for me when my son was going through cancer. It’s a safe space where people can share their voices and be supported.”
“It’s helps ground me in my week. I appreciate the regularity.”
How to create a successful co-working group.
If you’re interested in creating a collaborative online co-working community for yourself, start with a handful of friends who are seeking accountability and a regular place to show up and connect.
Reach out to your network. To help the group find its footing and achieve regularity, choose people who tend to stick to their commitments
Ask each friend if they have someone who they would like to bring into the group.
Since not everyone might know each other in real life, ask that everyone turn their cameras on during break times if possible. The ability to see each other’s nonverbal cues helps build a sense of trust and connection.
Establish ground rules. Decide which day you’re going to meet and for how long.
Build trust. Keep the group to 12 or less. Why? As one member of my group said, “We tend to share a lot of sensitive stuff with each other. If the group gets too big, you lose that sacred container.”
Honor the purpose. Have you ever joined a book club excited to talk about books only to realize it was actually a thinly veiled reason for folks to get together, drink wine and gossip? No one ever read the book.
For a bibliophile, this can be disappointing. While socializing over a glass of wine is fun, please don’t call it a book club—unless everyone is clued in and knows it’s a “wink-wink book club.”
The same authenticity is necessary for co-working sessions. If you’re going to have one, know that people are blocking their calendars to show up and get things done.
Sticking to a regular structure also helps establish a sense of trust.
While occasionally it’s necessary to take extra time to support a group member, know that if your group runs off the rails too many times, people will stop showing up.
Choose a host. If you’re coordinating the session on Zoom or Teams, make one person the host who sends out the calendar invites each week.
This person should be someone who is reliable and shows up on the regular. If they can’t be there, they’re responsible for assigning another host.
Select a timer. If you don’t use an app to track the time, ask one member of the group to set their phone timer and alert the rest of the group when the work time is up.
Establish a private, online community. Another helpful way to build connection in between co-working sessions is to create a private Facebook group, Slack channel or text group where members can post questions or share updates throughout the week.
Members might share their progress on a project or seek support with something going on in their business or personal life.
The host can also use this space to remind members of the upcoming co-working session (especially as people are getting accustomed to making it a part of their routine) or to ask for a volunteer to take the lead if they can’t be at the next meeting.
Craft + Connection = Magic.
I adore that feeling of accomplishment after a successful day of working on my craft, but what makes my week especially fulfilling is knowing I have a close-knit group of friends expecting me to show up. I love knowing that we have each other’s backs and are cheering each other on each step of the way in our businesses and our lives.
Don’t feel like you have to go it alone. Create a circle of connection for yourself and take your focus and accountability to the next level. Let me know how it goes!
Special thanks to Robyn Stevens for inspiring this post!
Virtual co-working really helps. I host a group sometimes for one of my clients and show up as much as I can. It really is easier to settle in and do what you need to do with other people there.