Prioritize Your Writing

Oh hey, I have a little something for you...

Dear Creators,

I don’t say this as often as I should, but I’m so glad that you signed up to be on my email list.

In that spirit of gratitude, I made a little something for you — a printable “Prioritize Your Writing” PDF worksheet intended to help you prioritize and focus on your creative work. Maybe you’ll find it useful, or maybe it’s not quite your cup of tea, but either way, I’d like to make it available to you (and it’s free!).

Personally, I tend to get lost throughout the day — in my own thoughts, day-to-day tasks, household emergencies, and the overall busy whirlwind of life. And if my priorities aren’t laid out directly in front of me, I can very easily get distracted and waste my time and energy on a bunch of stuff I never wanted or intended to do.

(Ever find yourself pulling cobwebs out of some long-forgotten corner in your attic or basement at 3:45 p.m., while your creative work-in-progress languishes, judging you from afar? I have. And maybe you have, too.)

I’ve found that this worksheet (PDF), while simple, is super-effective in keeping me grounded and focused on my craft. You’re free to print it out, or transcribe it into a journal or onto a whiteboard, if you like — whatever works best for you.

Here’s what it looks like — and again, you can print out the PDF for free here:

There’s a space at the top for the date, the creative project you’re working on, and your day’s goal for that project (wordcount-based or otherwise).

It also holds space for a writing affirmation or two, which you can use to remind yourself that YES, you are a writer, and that YES, you are allowed to pursue the creative work that makes you feel happy and fulfilled.

The notes and ideas section is, of course, for notes and ideas (project-related or otherwise) — feel free to scribble outside of the box on this one. (Or on any of them.)

Under non-writing tasks, go ahead and list out all of those to-dos that are buzzing around in your brain. The idea here is to get them out of your head so you can focus on writing — not to force yourself to complete the checklist before you begin to write.

And just in case you tend to get absorbed in the writing process, I’ve also included some self-care items reminding your to drink water, stretch/move around a bit, and stay off of social media… if those things are helpful to you. (If not, please ignore them and replace them with something that works better for you.)

Finally, at the very bottom is a special section for project-related items to research later, because it can be so tempting to procrastinate writing by saying, “I need to research [topic] before I start writing!” This is a trap. Start writing. You can fill in the technical details and smart-sounding stuff later.

Print out the worksheet at the start of the day, fill it in with some thought and intention, and get to work. It will be there for you whenever you need it.

Doodles, scribbles, stickers, and lines of abstract poetry are, of course, welcome. :)

Download the PDF for free here (no strings attached), and let me know if/how it helps, or if you were inspired to create your own version with different metrics.

Thank you again for being a part of my community. I’m so excited to see what you can do when you commit to prioritizing your creativity!

Words & warmth,

Sarah

P.S. I’ll be speaking at the Austin Film Festival next week (October 26-29), so if you’re going to be in attendance, let me know and we can high-five!

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