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I’m using a new technique to help me keep my blog more up to date. It consists of committing to writing at least 50 words each day.
To be honest, 50 words is not an awful lot, but the idea is to create a new habit, which will encourage me to write.
If you’d like to try this technique, some small tips and instructions can be found below.
Make it a daily habit.
Doing it one day in three, or every other day, makes it tougher to remember to do it. Feel free to ignore this advice if you want, but be aware that you’ll be swimming against the tide.
Tag it onto another habit.
Maybe you could do it while you drink your morning coffee, or after brushing your teeth. Building it into a chain will help the habit to become ingrained.
Start off small.
Don’t try to push yourself too hard in the early stages of habit building. The most important thing is to get the habit entrenched, not to produce voluminous output. Commit yourself to doing less than you think you are capable of. You can always increase the scope at a later date.
Record your successes.
Mark on a calendar, or devise some way of recording your progress. Once you see the progress you have made, it may motivate you to continue, especially on those days when you don’t feel like doing it.
Leave your tips on habit changes, how you approach writing, or general productivity tips in the comments.
Write stuff down. 
The first and most important means to getting things done is to keep a todo list. It also needs to be organised, so that you know in what order things need to be worked on, and what you need to complete the tasks.
Work long hours on Monday and Tuesday.
This especially applies if you’re a contractor. If you can only bill 40 hours per week, working 12-14 hours on Monday can get you an early-departure on Friday. Furthermore, by staying late early in the week, you’ll get your productivity ball-rolling early. People often say that their most productive work-day in a week is Wednesday. As long as you are actually getting the work done, and not just putting in the hours you should be fine. Note that some employers are not flexible with time, so you may have to adapt this somewhat.
Reading is a great way to learn most things.
If you want to learn something new (for your current or next career), the best thing to do is read. The world’s knowledge resides in books and increasing now, online. You can learn a lot from just reading. Of course, reading is no substitute for actually doing, and you will retain the knowledge better by applying it, but reading is a great first step.
Sleep is important.
While working late nights can be productive in the short term, doing it consecutively will burn you out quickly. Getting a good night’s sleep can often lead to greater productivity because you’re refreshed and ready to go. I find that if I don’t get enough sleep the night before, it dramatically decreases the amount that I get done.
Work on something you’re passionate about.
If you don’t like what you’re doing for a living, find a new job and quit as soon as possible. It’s not all about the money, it’s about being happy doing what your currently doing. It is always best to have something lined up before you take the drastic step of leaving your current job, but if you really can’t stand your current situation, or it is making you ill, I would say quit immediately. Of course, the best balance is both money and happiness. It’s unlikely you’ll realize this unless you have a job that absolutely sucks, but pays well.
The above also applies to personal projects as well.
