I shared last week that I am on a personal commitment to just write – and write – and write – until the habit sticks.
Along the way, I’ve come across various resources and several people who have been an inspiration for this journey.
And, as is no doubt evident in this blog, I haven’t stayed true to my word. I’ve skipped one day which turned into day 2 then day 3 until I stopped counting the days I’ve skipped.
So now, I’ve rebooted myself and am back to writing.
And this time, I’m committed (yes I am!) to make it stick.
No Such Thing as Perfect Writing
If you want to build a writing habit, you can’t aim for perfection. There are days when your output will really suck.
That’s ok. Just keep going.
Writing is a muscle that we develop over time.
While I know this to be generally true, I’ve realized that I’ve held back a lot of times from writing because I’ve been editing myself even before I’ve written the words.
I try to come up with brilliant sentences. Or just edit my thoughts so they become prettier on paper.
Along the way, I’ve doubted my ability to really communicate like a native English speaker – although I know I have the skills to do so.
Worst, I’ve doubted my writing style and questioned if I am even cut out to be a writer.
See, aiming for perfection rears the ugly head of impostor syndrome which paralyzes you to inaction.
And for that, I’m grateful to have this blog as an outlet. At least I can safely write unobtrusively here without fear of judgment.
Then again, there’s the other site I’m building which should contain more polished content.
The ugly draft is here. The polished draft is there.
If you want to build a writing habit, don’t aim for perfection. There are days when your output will really suck.
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That’s ok. Just keep going.
Writing is a muscle that we develop over time.
Habit Stacking and Commitment
It’s so easy to procrastinate – especially when there’s no real urgent need to keep writing. It’s not like I am on some tight client deadline. Perhaps I should have accepted those job offers to become a full-time content writer. Maybe that would have forced me to build the habit.
But I didn’t so here I am, building the habit on my own.
And it takes a lot of work and discipline to the point that I’ve combined my love of drinking coffee with the act of writing.
As James Clear said, stack the habit you want to build with the habit you already have so that it becomes an automatic trigger.
I’m grateful that since reading his book early this month, I was able to acquire one good habit. I’ve been consistently building my network in my niche on LinkedIn and reaching out to people. Just a little per day. Not a lot so as not to overwhelm me.
But the writing habit is one tricky beast to master. So now, I use creating a cup of hot black coffee as a trigger. I’m even considering upping the experience with better-roasted coffee beans.
Writing Cohorts and Accountability
The more I spend my time on the Internet, the more I learn about the tools and resources available to me as a writer. For one, I’ve learned about writing cohorts.
Cohorts are simply groups of people banded together towards a common cause. I’ve seen writing cohorts spring up – one of the most notable is Ship30for30. A writing cohort that runs for 30 days and is aimed at publishing short atomic essays (250 words and less) every day for the next 30 days.
I considered joining the September cohort but had to get a grip on myself. The joining fee is not cheap. It’s more than what I paid for the Tribe’s annual fee. And I thought to myself that I already have a winning group here in the Tribe, why would I need another one?
Although of course, the writing cohort goals are different – more specific – than the goals of my AC buddies at the Tribe.
Then again, most of these programs still largely depend on your own internal willpower and self-discipline.
It’s just the added accountability that helps you get on track and stay on track.
But we’re about to launch something similar in our AC group and I’m excited about that.
In the end, I decided that I also have my Financial Goals to hit, and part of that is conserving as many funds as I can, so I have to be mindful of the courses and groups I join. While I have no doubt about the value they give, the fact is, being a member of too many different groups will overstretch me and might end up making me overwhelmed.
Already, there are Tribe materials I haven’t fully utilized because of the sheer volume of what’s available.
I should not fall into the shiny, glimmery object trap.
So is this it?
So did I pass today’s challenge? The challenge was to write for an hour. It’s been 20 minutes only. I know I can write fast especially when the words simply overflow.
But then again, this is not it.
This is an ugly draft; merely a barrage of running thoughts in my head. The perfect post for this blog.
If I’m doing Ship30for30, the goals are 30 atomic essays PUBLISHED on Twitter and edited for brevity. The thought alone makes my hands clammy.
I know I can do it.
And I intend to do it. The right way.
