There are many ways to increase your productivity, not only as a songwriter, but with life in general. There are several websites, books and blogs dedicated to this topic but here are just a few ideas to point you in the right direction if the clock seems to be against you.
Have a Sunday
The key to productivity is having a plan and sticking to it. One great way to make this happen is set aside 30 minutes each Sunday evening before you go to bed to write out what you’d like to accomplish the following week. If you don’t have a plan, you will usually go through the week with aimless ambition always scrambling to catch up on what you would like to get done.
5 Things
Along those same lines, each night before you go to bed, take 10 minutes to review what you got done that day and write down the top 5 things you’d like to accomplish the next day. This will keep you focused on what’s most important.
Be Specific
‘Write one new song’ is too general for your mind to do anything with. When you draft your plan, give yourself something detailed to work towards. Example: Complete first verse and hook to new song about old girlfriend who broke my heart at a Burger King’s with a tune similar to ‘I’m a Lil Tea pot’. This gives your mind a direction even if you don’t stick to it completely in the writing phase.
Practice? Practice!
You can’t be a writer if you’re not writing. Make it a habit to write every day. Some ideas are to write a poem, write a short story, describe a photo, write out your feelings/viewpoints, write a love letter and the most obvious….write lyrics. Writing daily helps to develop your imagination as well as your skill with the way words flow naturally. The more you practice, the better and faster you’ll get, which will save you time in the long run.
Just do it!
Once you have a written plan, take action!! If the task at hand isn’t moving you closer to your goal, stop and re-evaluate. Either find a better way, or delegate it to someone else if possible.