How Vocal+ Is Helping Me Reach My Goals for 2021

I have always known that I wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know where to start. The concept of “just start writing,” made no sense to me at all. I didn’t feel prepared or like I had enough time to be a writer. I equated the idea of “just start” with jogging-in-place to prepare for a marathon: It didn’t seem productive!

When I decided this year that it was time to pursue a career in writing I came to Vocal immediately to start “practicing.” I soon found out that with Vocal challenges, I could start making some real money! (Read my first challenge winning article here). But the greatest reward for me has been in implementing the practice of daily writing. I was no longer waiting around for inspiration to strike. I now had a brief to follow and a deadline that gave structure to my writing and helped me to implement a writing routine.

The deadlines for Vocal+ challenges gave me the motivation to do something that I have never done before: make writing a part of my everyday routine.

As the busy mom of a toddler, I know the importance of schedules (not that toddlers always agree). However, I was never successful at integrating writing into that routine. So, I just didn’t write, ever! It was no longer realistic to write when I was inspired. If and when inspiration did strike, I didn’t have the luxury of pulling out my laptop or pen and paper at that exact moment and descending into a fury of inspired writing like I had in the past. When I imagined writing for a living, I imagined hours of sitting at a coffee shop all day long or staying up late into the night with a glass of wine in the soft light of a fireplace. That was not going to happen! I wouldn’t have consecutive hours to write every day. I would have increments of minutes. And in those minutes, there would not be a tranquil environment or artisan beverages... just cold coffee and The Wiggles playing in the background. How could I use those minutes each day to be productive? I didn’t think it was possible.

I absolutely love being a mom but without the hours of “alone time” I had been imagined were necessary to be creative, I was left feeling unfulfilled. Most of my day was allotted to the care of my daughter. I followed her schedule and the unassigned hours and minutes of my day were lost: to tv and scrolling, miscellaneous household tasks, etc. I felt a lack in my life because I didn’t have a creative outlet. Going into 2021, I needed to implement writing routines for two reasons: 1) I needed a way to work from home and provide income for my family through writing, and just as importantly, 2) I needed to engage my creativity for the sake of my own well-being! I had been denying myself the ability to be fully myself by not prioritizing my passions.

What Vocal+ challenges have given me is a creative outlet with structure and deadlines that motivate me to write daily.

So, how do I fit writing into my everyday routine?

The most important thing I learned is that I had to work with the minutes in the day rather than consecutive hours. Now, I keep my laptop open while I prepare meals. I do most of my writing in my head and return to my laptop or phone in between tasks to jot something down. I use the time that my daughter naps (in my arms, still not alone) to do the bulk of my writing. And finally, I broke the habit of scrolling to sleep and now use that time to either read or write to sleep.

Note: I have always kept up with my hobby of reading, even after becoming a mom. Not all readers are writers, but all writers must be readers! Read more about how I implement reading into mom-life here and here!

The practice of writing daily for Vocal challenges and some other projects that I have taken on as a new freelance writer for hire has sparked a chain reaction: I am now doing more creative writing than ever! With my “writing muscles” warmed up through the practice of daily writing, I have been inspired to write outside of what I have assigned myself. The slow beginnings of this practice have gained momentum sooner than I would have thought. I finally understand the advice that to become a writer, you just have to start writing. But for me, I needed some structure around these daily writing practices and Vocal+ has provided that.

Writing for Vocal+ challenges is a great way to enforce productive writing habits with briefs to get you started and deadlines that keep you focused.

Okay, so here's my unsponsored and totally unsolicited sales pitch: If you are on the fence about becoming a Vocal+ member, I am here to give you a push! I think of the monthly subscription as a "gym membership" for my writing muscles. And the chance to win cash prizes through challenges is well worth the investment. Maybe you also have the goal of being more disciplined with your writing in 2021? Writing for Vocal+ challenges is a great way to enforce productive writing habits with briefs to get you started and deadlines that keep you focused.

Vocal has also given me confidence as a writer. When I won my first challenge, it was the affirmation I needed to keep going. Every time I get a tip or make the top stories, I get the same boost of confidence.

So, here's to being more disciplined in my creative practices than ever in 2021!

I raise a cold coffee salute to my growth so far in 2021 and look forward to the growth to come!