Tip 37: Use constraints to get unstuck

How limitations can be liberating.

When you’re short on time, it’s easy to blame your schedule for your lack of writing. But here’s the twist: too much time can be just as paralysing.

One writer we worked with had a rare stretch of clear mornings. But instead of writing, he found himself tidying the kitchen, doom scrolling, then fiddling with the same paragraph for an hour.

He had the time - but not the container. That’s where constraints come in.

Rather than crushing creativity, limits often release it. They force choices. Focus your attention. Create urgency. And, best of all, they’re completely within your control.

Here are 8 constraint-based strategies to help you get unstuck and writing again:

1. Write less

Start small. A paragraph. 100 words. A sentence. Stop when you hit the target - even if the idea is unfinished. That way, you’ll feel ready to return tomorrow.

2. Write faster

Don’t give yourself time to hesitate. Try freewriting: set a timer and write without editing or stopping. Leave notes-to-self to remind you to come back to tricky sections later.

3. Set a timer

Use the Pomodoro method: 25 minutes of writing, 5-minute break. It makes big projects feel doable — and time feel manageable.

4. Take a challenge

Writing sprints, daily streaks or a self-imposed deadline can shake you out of a rut. Try a 7-day writing sprint or a goal to “write daily until Friday.”

5. Audit your distractions

More time can mean more distraction. Notice what’s pulling your attention - social media, housework, overthinking - and take one small step to limit it.

6. Build a routine

No schedule? Create one. Pair writing with an existing habit - after your morning coffee, just before lunch, after a walk. Use the existing habit as a trigger to make the new routine happen.

7. Set boundaries

Decide when you write - and when you stop. Use rituals to begin and end your sessions (e.g. a specific playlist or lighting a candle).

8. Notice and adapt

Check in with yourself. What’s blocking you today? What helped last week? Use your stuck moments as data - not drama.

Try this

Pick one constraint to test today:

🟢 Cap your writing at 10 minutes
🟢 Write without stopping, editing or reading back
🟢 Start small and stop early
🟢 Find a trigger for a new routine: “I write after breakfast”

Constraints aren’t barriers. They’re scaffolding. They don’t restrict your writing - they hold it up.

What’s one limit you can introduce today to give your writing more freedom?