With 2019 fast approaching, many people will be wondering if the New Year's Resolutions they make this year will be kept longer than a few weeks. I, personally, feel that setting goals should be in the form of small actions that I know I can achieve. The great Tony Robbins once said: ‘Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.’ It’s only by breaking your negative mindset and bad habits that we can implement the changes in our lives, and this should happen throughout the year, not just on January 1st. Continually setting goals this way makes you more aware of the bad habits that are preventing you from success, and also responsible for the daily actions you take to further yourself. 

Do you want 2019 to become the year that you achieve those writing goals on your bucket list? Here are the actions I took this year which I found worked, and would like to share them with you. 

When you are writing, keep your attention entirely focused on that by not multi-tasking. Switch off all social media or any other distractions as this will drain your creativity and energy. Immerse yourself 100% in your writing even for short periods. If your attention span dwindles after half an hour, then begin with several short writing sessions and increase the time gradually. You will soon find that keeping your concentration comes naturally to you and the writing process becomes much more enjoyable.,  

I strongly believe you should spend double the time planning your script, than you spend actually writing it. So, each day, plan what you want to achieve before you sit down to write. If you have previously planned out your manuscript, chapter by chapter, then it will save you endless hours writing scenes aimlessly that do not move the plot forward.  The only time you should be watching TV while writing, is if you are planning on writing a screenplay, and you are studying the construction of a scene. If, however, you are a novelist, the most productive way you can improve on your writing craft, is to study the works of the great writers in your genre but also other writers too. This means reading and lots of it. Reading is also a great way to de-stress and immerse yourself in another world. Another great stress buster is listening to music. Listening to music can also inspire your creativity for ideas, characters and emotion-driven scenes. 

Create a set time of the day that is for your writing and nothing else. I prefer to write early in the morning, others prefer late at night. Remember a habit is only something done continuously until it becomes a need. Make writing each day a habit. The idea here is to break your old unhealthy habits or rituals that are keeping you stuck in that frustrating rut, and begin to create healthier ones that fulfil you. Always keep in mind that this is about making small changes each day.

Try free writing. Although I have previously mentioned that it is essential you have planned out what you intend writing in a particular session, it is also so liberating just to write a scene in your story without worrying if it is polished. Writing from the heart sometimes, especially when you have immersed yourself completely into the minds of your characters, brings some amazing results.