Achieving Realistic Goals to Beat Writer’s Block

Maria Garcia
3 min readAug 21, 2024

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To beat writer’s block, start by identifying your writing goals — what drives you, who your ideal audience is, and what success means for your project. Then, break down large projects into smaller tasks, set realistic deadlines, and create a writing schedule that works for you. Set achievable word counts and focus on making progress, not achieving perfection. Celebrate daily milestones and don’t be too hard on yourself — remember, it’s about getting the words down, not crafting flawless sentences. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to overcoming writer’s block and making steady progress on your project — and there’s more to explore to help you stay on track.

Identify Your Writing Goals

Get down to business by pinpointing what you want to achieve with your writing.

What drives your writing motivations? Is it to educate, entertain, or inspire?

Identify your ideal audience — who are they, and what do they want from your content?

Clarify your goals, and you’ll be more focused, motivated, and equipped to overcome writer’s block.

Break Down Large Projects

When faced with a large writing project, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scope of the task, leading to writer’s block.

To break it down, identify project milestones and prioritize tasks.

This helps you focus on what needs to be done, making the project feel less intimidating.

  • Break down the project into smaller, manageable tasks
  • Create a list of tasks to complete each day/week
  • Set specific deadlines for each task to maintain momentum
  • Review and adjust your task list regularly to stay on track

Create a Writing Schedule

Having a clear plan of attack is crucial to making progress on your writing project,

and one of the most effective ways to do this is to create a writing schedule. Commit to daily writing sessions, but don’t be too rigid — flexible routines allow for adjustments when life gets in the way.

Set Achievable Word Counts

You’ve mapped out your writing schedule, now it’s time to set achievable word counts to help you stay on track.

This will give you daily targets to work towards, and a sense of accomplishment as you meet them.

  • Set flexible limits that allow for adjustments when needed
  • Start with realistic daily targets, and gradually increase them
  • Make sure your targets are specific, measurable, and achievable
  • Review and adjust your targets regularly to stay motivated

Make Progress, Not Perfection

Several days into your writing schedule, you may find yourself struggling to produce perfect prose, but remember that making progress is more important than achieving perfection.

Adopt a “good enough” mindset and set realistic standards. Focus on completing your daily word count rather than crafting flawless sentences.

Conclusion

You’ve got this! By identifying your writing goals, breaking down large projects, creating a writing schedule, and setting achievable word counts, you’ve taken the first vital steps to beating writer’s block. Remember, it’s about making progress, not aiming for perfection. Celebrate your daily wins, no matter how small, and watch your momentum grow. Before you know it, you’ll be typing away with ease, and that intimidating blank page will become a distant memory.

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Maria Garcia
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Words are my superpower. Using them to connect people and ideas.