I was so lucky to meet Sage Grayson at a CreativeLive class almost two years ago. I had already been following her blog, so I immediately went up to her to say “hi” (Sage, thanks for not being creeped out when I said, “I feel like I already know you!”). I immediately loved her positive energy and great sense of humor, and we hung out together for the three days of the course. After the course, I knew I had to hire. It was one of the best decisions of my life; she kept me sane while juggling wedding plans, a full-time job, a side business, and my novel writing. Basically, she is the Queen of Productivity (and a former book editor). She was kind enough to discuss writing and productivity tips with me.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. What do you do? Where can we find you?
Hey there! I’m Sage Grayson, and I help ambitious career women edit their habits, routines, and mindsets to balance their happiness at work and home. I’m a Life Editor…and so are you!
I was a book editor for 10 years before I became a life coach. I discovered that I was using the same techniques with my life coaching clients as I had used when I edited books. My Life Editing Process framework makes it easy for you to delete, add, and rearrange the parts of your life into a perfect flow.
I live in Orlando, Florida, with my husband, Chris, and dog, Skyla.
You can always find me at SageGrayson.com.
2. You work with a lot of writers. What are their biggest struggles? What do you do to help them overcome them?
Many of my clients are writers, probably because they know I’ll understand them with my book editing past. The vast majority of them know what they need to do, but they end up not doing their work because they don’t have anyone holding them accountable.
I act as their “tough love” accountability partner. We set stretch goals and work backwards to create a doable schedule with lots of milestones to hit along the way. Staying up all night to write a 30-page paper the day before it’s due might have worked in college, but that’s no way to live as a professional writer!
Writers often care about their work so deeply that they become perfectionists and are paralyzed by the feeling of not wanting to mess it up. But you’ll never finish your book or get published if you wait for your writing to be perfect. That’s what editors are for!
A better plan is to break down your writing tasks into 10-minute chunks of time. That way, you can still make noticeable progress even if you’re being pulled in a million directions. Doing just 10 minutes of writing per day is still progress. Any progress, no matter how small, is still worth it.
3. You are the Queen of Productivity (yes, that is your new title). Do you have any tips for writers to increase productivity and develop good habits?
Haha! I’ll take that title! Productivity is my passion, and there are definitely things you can do to get stuff done without getting overwhelmed.
For instance, start small with just one mini habit that supports your work. This idea comes from the amazing book Mini Habits by Stephen Guise. Choose a mini habit that’s so small and easy that you’re sure to do it every day without fail.
A writer might make a mini habit of writing 100 words per day. I know that seems super tiny, but that’s the point. It’s too small to fail!
How about a mini habit of sending a pitch email to one blog or website per day where they accept contributions? Many websites don’t require a lengthy write-up or the finished article in order to be accepted. Sometimes just a few sentences about your topic is enough.
The more places you can get your work published, the more you’ll be taken seriously as a writer. And publishers like that! 🙂
4. Similarly, are there some habits you would recommend writers delete to increase their productivity?
Delete your distractions! Use time management software such as RescueTime.com to block social media sites during your work hours so you’re not pulled away by celebrity gossip or cat videos.
You might think you’ll be productive if you work from home, but your home is full of appealing distractions like TV and your bed. I even know writers who choose to do laundry instead of outlining their next chapters.
As for me, my fur baby Skyla is a huge—but loveable!—distraction. We put her in doggie day care twice a week so I can focus, and she gets to wrestle and run around with other dogs.
Know your distractions and make a plan to avoid them when it’s time to write.
5. Are there any products or services that you would like to share?
My favorite place to connect with other Life Editors is in my Life Editor Clubhouse membership site. The Clubhouse has every single product, program, and service I create. It’s your one-stop shop for all my life editing goodies.
You’ll find my popular Life Editing for Beginners group program and my business program Startup In 60. New interactive classes are added monthly, so there’s always something new to help you on your life editing journey.
You can read all the details at http://sagegrayson.com/life-editor-clubhouse.
6. Where can people connect with you if they have any questions or want to say hi?
Email: sage@sagegrayson.com
Website: SageGrayson.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SageGraysonCoaching
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sagegrayson1
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/sagegrayson
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sagegrayso