Building a habit, getting used to doing something and making it a part of your daily life, is usually a lot easier if the hurdle to get started is as low as possible. I mean really low. For my writing, I don’t have a word count requirement, I don’t have a time requirement, all I have to do is open my writing notebook, pick up a pen and write something. Anything. Now that’s a low requirement. That’s something where it feels like I can actually do that every day, even on a really bad day. I think that’s key. Doing something every day, even just a little, builds both the habit and momentum towards your goal.

And in the same vein, working on small projects can be a good way forward. I like to be able to finish things, to be able to see, or have some idea of, the finish line when I start. Taking on something too big can feel like too much, and I’m more likely to just call it a day. Starting small and working on manageable tasks can make progress feel more achievable.

So right now I’m writing small things, and keeping it fun and flowing with low expectations. Drabbles, poems, short scenes and the like.

Another positive of small projects is looking back at the list of the things you’ve finished. Keeping things small has allowed me to build a nice list of completed work, which is a real boost and incentive to keep going. I believe that even as I work on larger projects in the future, it’ll be good to sprinkle in some small ones to feel momentum.

But what does finished mean? When do I get to check that box? As described in my last blog post, I’ve delved into a new way of working I’m calling “Phases,” which roughly means giving myself a list of writing tasks or projects and once they are all completed the phase is done and I can move on to the next. The idea behind Phases is that breaking things down into smaller tasks helps keep things moving forward, and always having clear achievable goals means I always know what’s next. In the context of Phases my initial idea was that finished meant just a first draft. But that has gradually changed. Now, finished means finished, something that has been edited enough to be published in some form. And that works really well with small projects, as editing them doesn’t take an overwhelming amount of time.

But what about longer projects? When I get there I may need to treat drafting and editing as separate tasks to keep the time from start to finished low. I want to maintain a sense of progress and movement, that I’m improving and building a body of work.

Working on only small projects now that I’m trying to build a routine and create good habits has been a good idea. And as I progress to longer and longer texts, I believe I’ll still sprinkle in smaller projects here and there, something to jump into when a larger text is moving slowly.

Work small. Make something. Move forward.