From Burnout to Buy-In: A Workout Plan for Workshop

The Context

Lately, everywhere I look people are talking about their 2026 goals. Improve fitness. Eat more protein. Walk 10,000 steps per day. Try hot yoga. Lift heavier weights. The list goes on and on.

And every time I scroll, I feel the pressure that I should be doing all of it to be successful. But that pressure stops me in my tracks. It feels completely unattainable. And that’s not even how real change works, is it? When you try to do it all, nothing feels manageable. The results are often the same: burnout, disappointment, and that familiar feeling of not being good enough.

So, instead, what if I chose one thing to focus on? 

The goal that interests me the most. 

The one that feels doable right now. 

The one that fits into my schedule. 

That’s how most of us approach lifestyle and fitness goals. We don’t sign up for memberships at every fitness studio. We choose one. We commit to it for a season. And we surround ourselves with people working toward that same goal. 

Which made me think…What if writing workshop feels the say way to our students?

The Problem with One-Size-Fits-All Writing

In many classrooms, writing workshop asks students to do it all. All the time. 

• Generate new ideas.
• Plan thoughtfully.
• Use strong structure.
• Elaborate with craft moves.
• Write brilliant leads.
• Use dialogue purposefully.
• Vary sentence structure.
• Edit for grammar, puncutaiton, and spelling.

How overwhelming.

And this is on top of the demands of writing with stamina and volume, maintaining focus for up to 45 minutes, and sticking with a piece through the writing cycle.

We push our students to move through the same minilessons, on the same day, with high expectations for each writer.

But, like athletes, our writers are not all training for the same thing at the same time.

Some need focus on clarity.

Some need to build stamina.

Some need structure supports. 

Some need to boost writing habits. 

And asking them to train for everything all at once can be just as overwhelming as trying to master Pilates, yoga, cycling, and heavy lifting simultaneously. 

Enter: Workout Clubs for Writers

What if, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we invited students into writing workout clubs?

In this model, writers could choose one focused goal for a stretch of time– just like choosing a workout studio or class. The goal might be connected to the current unit, but it allows for choice, ownership, and differentiation.

Once students select their goal, they sit with other writers who chose the same focus. These become their workout buddies— their clubs. Writers aren’t grouped randomly. They aren’t grouped by level. They are grouped by intention and surrounded by others focused on the same.

Why Workout Clubs Work

1. They honors autonomy. When writers choose their goal, they’re more invested. The work belongs to them–not just to the teacher or the unit plan.
2. They reduce cognitive load. Writers aren’t trying to perfect everything. They’re training one muscle at a time and noticing growth. 
3. They normalize different needs. Just like at the gym, everyone is lifting different weights and running at different speeds. Different goals are expected-– and respected.
4. They build community. Sitting next to wrtiers with the same focus creates natural opportunities for talk, shared strategies, and support. Writers inspire one another simply by working in each other’s presence. 
5. They make small-group instruction more purposeful and easier to plan. Instead if pulling small groups based on perceived deficits, you’re meeting with writers who want support in a specific, self-identified area. Your planning and teaching becomes targeted and efficient.
6. They allow for repeated, intentional practice.  Writers sit down with a clear purpose. They can self-monitor, reflect, and celebrate growth over time.

Workout Clubs in Action

Workout clubs don’t require an overhaul of what you’re already doing in writing workshop.

You might:

• Offer 3-5 goal options connected to the unit and/or writing habits
• Model what each “workout” focuses on
• Have students commit to a goal for a week or a bend
• Have clubs create a logo, contract, and vision for their “gym”
• Rotate clubs over the course of the unit
• Organize your small groups based on clubs

The goal isn’t perfection. It’s focus. And of course, they’re still working on other elements of their writing, but with their main goal in the forefront. 

Just like fitness, writing growth happens through intentional, repeated practice– not by trying to do a little of everything all at once. 

A Final Thought

What if we stopped asking writers to train for yoga, marathons, and strength competitions all at the same time?

What if we trusted them to choose a goal that matters right now– and gave them the structure, community, and support to work toward it?

Because when writers feel supported, clear, and capable about what they’re working on, they don’t burn out.

They show up. 

They train. 

And they grow.

One workout at a time.