Do you remember the I Love Lucy chocolate factory episode where Lucy and Ethel must wrap chocolates as they sweep by on the conveyor belt? The women start strong, but soon the belt speeds up. Too many candies pass by too quickly. They hilariously scoop up several onto the table in front of them, pop some in their mouths, and put some in their hats and clothes, all the while trying to wrap others going by on the belt.

Have you looked at your writing goals for this year? We laugh at Lucille Ball, but we often make the same zany mistakes. We miscalculate the pace. We refuse to ask for expert help. And we never figure out how to work with a manageable number of “chocolates” at any one time.

Now is a great time to calculate your best daily word count. On average, how many words do you write per hour? How many during revision rather than initial composition? How many hours do you need for research per article or chapter? Take time to do these calculations so you can know how much time to allot to each project. Then plot out the necessary hours as research, writing, and revision blocks on your calendar.

While strategies exist for increasing productivity, if you set your writing goals at a productivity level you have yet to achieve, you will likely become frustrated or overwhelmed. Set your daily or weekly goal just below your average pace for the hours you have available. If you go faster than you thought, great! No one ever gets upset for someone finishing ahead of schedule. 

Be realistic. Stick with it. And reward yourself each week you meet your goal. 

Did anyone say “chocolate”?