We all know that people are slaves to habits. 7 o’clock rise. Eat breakfast. Get dressed. Brush teeth.
(Not necessarily in that order)
So why is it that people don’t see the importance of habit in their day-today lives?
I’m a writer. First and foremost, above all else I do. My mind is on my writing. My day is built around the blocks of time I put aside to ensure that I get the writing done that I wish to achieve.
That’s how I get shit done.
But let me backtrack a little, for those who are already thinking ‘Oh but at least you have time to write, I just can’t find any.’
Let me try something to change your mind. To help you realise that there is time there, and it’s about finding it.
Two points to consider:
1) How important is writing to you?
2) Are you willing to put the time in?
If the answer to #1 is ‘it’s not that important’, then that’s fine. Put writing aside, get on with your life and dabble where you can. If the answer is ‘Super yes, it’s the bestest most awesomest thing I can think to do ever, sir’ then you have completed step one. So why haven’t you done step #2?
If your answer to #2 is 'Yes', then we can move ahead. And the good thing is that the solution is actually pretty simple.
Ready?
Here’s the secret:
Make the time!
Every one of us has 24hours in a day. FACT. It’s how you use it that brings you fulfilment, how you harness that time and arrange your day to be the most productive you can.
For me, when I started writing, that meant one thing – ### Sacrificing my lunch breaks at work.
I’m a full-time father, I have a full-time job, yet I still find a minimum of 15 hours a week to write.
That comes from my lunchbreaks at work – after all, what else do you do with your break other than idly go for a walk? – and getting up an hour earlier in the mornings and just getting it done.
Habits start incrementally. When this routine began I started with 15 minute writing blocks on my lunch break. Doing as much as I could, taking baby steps.
A week later I was on half hour.
A month later I had my ass in the chair for a full hour cracking out 750 words in my break
A few weeks later that upped to 1200 words in an hour session.
And so the progress went.
Two months after starting this habit, I had written the first draft of my first novel (soon to be released).
So I guess what I’m saying is this:
If it matters to you, and if you want to find the time: Make the time.
Protect your writing time as if it were a fragile bubble that might pop if you take a day off. And, take it from me, one day slip is enough to set you off-track for weeks at a time.
Make writing a habit, like brushing your teeth, like taking out the trash every Tuesday, like calling mother every other day.
The longer you do that, the more people will realise how important that is to you, and the more people will respect your bubble.
Habit. The cornerstone of writing.
How do you get your writing done? Do you have any unique tips or tricks? Get in touch!