"Writing time? Sure! I have a ton of stuff to write! Blog posts, Tuesday's ezine article, promotional copy for my upcoming program.... I could just write and write and write... But I'll get to it after these client calls. Oh, and preparing for my workshop. And let's not forget checking email and responding. Must respond right away, you know!"

So how much writing do you think gets done? Not much.

What I know from working with business owners with the amazing amount of STUFF to write is that they feel great when they write. They feel positive and successful. They wrote!

But getting them to that place where they write? It's like herding cats (or children).

What I've learned is that writing happens best when you create a sacred bubble around it. Writing doesn't just "happen." You have to plan for it.

• • When are you going to write? Schedule that time and put it into your calendar. It's nonnegotiable. Do not give that time away. If something comes up - a client needs to talk with you, for example - treat your scheduled writing time as you would any other appointment. It's not a space of time that can be eaten into.

• • Where are you going to write? Can you do this kind of writing in your office, or do you need a different environment and different energy? Plan for that and go to that place. Set yourself up for success from the very beginning.

• • Structure your writing. Know for how long you're going to write. Just "until I'm done" might not be sufficient, and you might be setting yourself up for failure. "Gee, I planned on writing 80 chapters, and I didn't get it done. I suck." Personally, I like time limits as opposed to project limits. I write for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, whatever is appropriate for the day and/or the project... I set that up ahead of time, and use a timer. I'm done writing when the timer goes off, and that's my benchmark of success.

• • Turn off the phone ringer and close your email. If you have a cell phone (and who doesn't?), turn it off or put it on silent. Put it in another room if you need to. (I speak from experience about this!)

• • As part of that sacred bubble, create the sacred environment that works for you. Light candles or incense. Play inspiring music. Pull a card from your favorite divination deck. Watch a video to get into the mood. I find what works for me is to create a ritual that I tap into each time I'm going to write from the soul. It's like Pavlov's dog... my brain, heart, and soul know what's coming.

• Have an ending ritual. You want to bring some sort of closure to your writing time. Otherwise, it feels anticlimactic. Blow out the candle, turn off the music, log how many words you wrote, give a silent blessing to the Universe for the words you wrote. Honor the sacred bubble.