Long time listener. First time caller. How do you find the time to write as much/as regularly as you do?

I consider this to be a second job, basically, so I write every day, usually 2000-3000 words, if I can manage it. I don’t always, since I have a full time job on top of this, naturally, but how do I find the time? I literally have no life! Well, that’s not quite true I suppose, but I go to work in the morning, I come home, I write for a good chunk of the afternoon, and go to bed fairly early so I can go to work the next day. I suppose that might sound miserable, but I love writing this stuff, and so it’s just how I’ve chosen to spend my time.

That said, that’s not really the best advice, so here’s some things I’ve done that have helped me not breakdown and burnout.

1. How Much Do You Want to Write? – This is the first step. Figure out how often you would like to post. To give you an idea of the sort of commitments I have, as far as writing is concerned, each month I post four 1000ish word tumblr posts a week. I do three captions (about 500 words each, or a bit less). I also complete about 10,000 words of commissions at least, which may or may not overlap with those tumblr posts. All in all, that’s about 25,000 words a month, give or take. That’s a lot. That’s a short novel every two or three months. You won’t be able to try that, of course, but look at how much you’ve been posting, and feel yourself out. Could you write more? Do you feel over taxed? You should undershoot your expectations–you can always write more, but try to avoid burning out–it’s not fun.
2. Set a Schedule – This is so important. Figure out how much you want to write, and then decide when, and how often, you want to post. Keep traffic on the site in mind–I post my stuff in the afternoon because that’s high traffic. I used to post at midnight (pacific time, keep time zones in mind too), and would get much less engagement. Same with days of the week. The more regularly you post, the easier an audience will be able to follow you without having to work too hard.
3. Buffer Buffer Buffer! – Nevermind, this is the most important thing. I usually have my tumblr posts already written two weeks out, and I try and have an extra week of content in my back pocket should something go really awry. There are weeks where I can’t manage to write anything. There are weeks when I triple my usual output. I never know what kind of week I’m going to have, so the appearance of regularity is only there because of my sizable buffer. Build up a buffer first, before committing to a schedule–don’t try to build one up on the fly. It never works.
4. Set a Daily Goal – Once you have a buffer built up, never stop. Seriously–don’t stop. Every day, write. Even if it’s 100 words. Even if it’s just planning out an idea for a story. It doesn’t matter–write. Think about writing. But do more of the writing than the thinking, we can’t post thoughts yet. Start small with your goals, and then work your way up. 
5. Figure Out What Motivates You –  These tips may or may not work for you–all I can say is that they worked for me in the past. They motivate me, in part, because I’m an obliger–I hate disappointing people, once I’ve made them a commitment. A public schedule then, works really well for me, because I feel like shit if I don’t meet it. That may not work for you at all! You have to figure out a system that works for you as well as this one works for me, but this is a framework you can start with, at least.