The Productive Writer

Reading time: About 3 minutes Most writers work alone, so you probably see teamwork as irrelevant to you. Nothing could be further from the truth… By Ann Gomex At a 1907 county fair, 800 visitors competed to guess the weight of an ox, with the hope of winning that very ox – a coveted prize. […]

Reading time: About 2 minutes If you take the time to plan your day, you’re going to be much more likely to be able to squeeze in some writing time… By Ann Gomez You can plan all you want, but sometimes life just happens. The meeting runs late. You receive an urgent request. The dog

Reading time: About 3 minutes Wellbeing routines sound like fun, but, in fact, they’re an essential way of supporting yourself while you do creative work like writing…. By Ann Gomez We know our work routines make us more productive. But we can turn this productivity strategy into a superpower when we build wellbeing into our

Reading time: About 2 minutes It’s just about impossible to avoid getting interrupted. As a result, we all need some better strategies to manage interruptions…. By Ann Gomez Pssst. Have a minute? I’m going to let you in on a secret. If you want to get the most out of your time, you need to

Reading time: About 2 minutes While many of us associate timers with cooking, using a timer can be an excellent way of persuading yourself to do some important work… By Ann Gomez Years ago, a patient colleague listened to me bemoaning a big task I was struggling to start. Moments later, she returned with a

Reading time: About 2 minutes Much as you might want to finish your to-do list, actually accomplishing that task is not a very good idea….. By Ann Gomez I hope you never complete your to-do list. The reality is each of us will always have a list. We can cross items off, but new ones

Reading time: About 2 minutes Does “little stuff,” like rounding up hockey gear, or booking doctor’s appointments, end up taking your whole day? Here’s how to manage supporting tasks so they’ll take up less of your time… By Ann Gomez Many busy people will tell me they could easily spend their entire day (or week)

Reading time: About 4 minutes Do you feel too busy to breathe, never mind to write? Here’s information about a great productivity tool that could change your writing life… By Ann Gomez Margaret, a busy communications executive, and mother of three, was constantly racing from one meeting to the next and fielding emails on the

Reading time: About 2 minutes Many of us understand the value of declaring top priorities, but what is the special magic associated with the number three? By Ann Gomez As a kid, I used to love going to Baskin Robbins. The 31 flavours of ice cream lit up my visual senses, filling me with joy

Reading time: About 3 minutes If you want to become a far more productive writer, learn how to take a work-free vacation… By Ann Gomez Earlier in my career, vacations seemed to add to (rather than alleviate) stress. I could feel my anxiety rising leading up to any vacation. My list always felt too long