Word Counts & Real Life: Why Micro-Targets Might Be My New Best Friend

This week, I did something I’ve never done before in my writing life: I set a daily word count target.

Me writing at my desk

Not a dreamy “someday I’ll finish this” deadline. Not a block of hours carved out like I did with 'Thai Die' or 'Connecting Trains'. Not even the firm finish line I gave myself with 'Aloha Goodbye', which worked beautifully because I thrive under pressure. This time, I went micro. I gave myself a number. A daily word count. And I tracked it.

I used to think that kind of structure would strangle my creativity. That it would turn writing into a chore, a spreadsheet, a soulless tick-box exercise. But here’s the twist: it didn’t. It did the opposite.

Setting a word count didn’t just help me write, it helped me "make time" to write. And when your life includes a full-time job, motherhood, partnership, part-time shifts at the rugby club bar (first home match of the season, no less), and the general orchestration of a household, “making time” is no small feat.

But I did it. I hit my word count every day. And more than that—I felt lit up. Writing is what I want to be doing. It’s what regulates my nervous system, what brings me back to myself. And this week, I didn’t just squeeze it in, I "claimed" it.

The only downside? The frustration. Not with the writing, but with everything else that tries to steal time away from it. The laundry, the logistics, the endless loop of “what’s for dinner?” and “where are my boots?” It’s hard not to resent those interruptions when you’re finally in flow.

But maybe that’s part of the recalibration. Maybe this new rhythm—this micro-targeting, this daily commitment—isn’t just about productivity. Maybe it’s about permission. To prioritize the thing that lights me up. To say, “this matters,” even when the world is loud and demanding.

So here’s to the word count. Not as a cage, but as a compass. Not as a limit, but as a lifeline.

And if you’re juggling too many hats and wondering how to carve out space for your creative self—try going micro. You might just find your way back to the page.

Have a target week,

Love

Helen xx