Every time a new year rolls around, so does the pressure to create sweeping resolutions to transform every aspect of your life. But for creatives, throwing oneself into the “new year, new me” mindset can have the opposite effect. Changing everything about your writing routine in a week or even a month may yield short-term results but will lead to burnout in the long term. Making gradual, sustainable progress toward your writing goals is possible, and your future self will thank you for it. Here are some tips to improve your writing practice and crush your goals without exhaustion or burnout.

Set small, achievable goals

It’s tempting to set lofty writing goals at the beginning of the year, but these goals are rarely flexible enough for everyday obstacles. Strict goals focused on word count and deadlines can stifle creativity and create pressure to write when another activity, like research or finding ways to rekindle inspiration, could be more beneficial. Instead of holding yourself to strict word count goals, try a more open-ended (but still actionable) approach, such as committing to sitting down to write four times per week. Even if your output is not the same from day to day, you will still make progress on your projects without feeling like a failure for not hitting a lofty word count goal.

Create opportunities for inspiration

We all know the feeling of sitting down at the writing desk and realizing that the wells of inspiration have run dry. This is completely normal, especially if you’re used to pushing hard towards deadlines, but there are ways to rekindle that spark of inspiration without feeling forced. Try taking a day trip to a different city or into nature—somewhere new, or a location you associate with your project—and bring a journal to jot down thoughts and observations. Even a simple walk around the block can get the cogs turning again. In your daily life, be open and receptive to unexpected sources of inspiration at the grocery store, the post office, or wherever else. When you return to the desk, you will have a refilled reserve of inspiration to draw on.

Set time limits for distracting phone apps

Social media is engineered to capture your precious attention that could have been used on your writing. It’s difficult to disconnect completely from our phones and the digital world, but setting time limits for any distracting apps ensures that you will have the time and mental energy to write. Most phones have a time limit feature, but if you tend to bypass those limits, there are a variety of apps that make it impossible to open apps that you’ve blocked until a certain amount of time passes.

Declutter your writing space

Excessive clutter where you write can be just as distracting as your phone. Have you ever tried to write a scene before latching onto a random object on your desk that you’ve been meaning to move for the past four months and started thinking about all of the other things you need to do and end up writing nothing at all? Take a few minutes to remove unnecessary items from your desk—anything that distracts you—and replace them with things that motivate you to write, such as photos of where your story is set or a mood board for your latest project.

Change the writing ambience

Sometimes, the smallest touches can make your writing space feel dramatically different. Creating a separate mood and ambience for your writing is a great way to switch your brain into writing mode, especially if your writing space doubles as a work desk. If you usually work with a bright lamp, for example, try changing to warm, dim lighting for your writing time. Or find a scented candle or reed diffuser you love and make it your “writing scent” that you only use while writing. These techniques help block out time for writing amidst the million other tasks demanding your attention.

Balance research with writing

Writing without research can be a frustrating experience. After all, it’s difficult to flesh out a world and the characters that populate it without adequate background knowledge. Don’t be afraid to lean into research when you stumble upon gaps in your knowledge during the writing process. Doing so can even give you a boost of inspiration that you can bring back to the page when you feel ready to keep writing. Balance is key here to avoid getting stuck in either stage.

Celebrate the little wins

Hustle culture has sold us the lie that celebrations are reserved for enormous victories. But you don’t have to wait until your book is published to celebrate; even the small victories are worth a pat on the back. Whatever victory and progress means to you, don’t hesitate to celebrate it in a way that feels meaningful to you. At the end of the day, progress always outweighs perfection, and you deserve to bask in the feeling of triumph that comes with it.