Here is My Secret for Being Consistent at Writing Every Single Day
Short answer: Discipline.
Long answer: continue reading…
Purpose
Everyone has a purpose in life.
I’m not saying that this is only applicable for your lifelong purpose.
What I’m saying is that you need to have that purpose in life.
This is important for your business, life, and relationships.
As simple as it may sound, having a purpose in life is not easy to figure out.
One must understand his personality, passion, skills, enjoyments, and fears.
Figuring out your purpose is easy said than done, and that is a different article.
Consistency
Back to consistency — here we are referring to work consistency of course, — looking up the word on Google would return the following:
“To be consistent, you have to replicate positive behavior or performance day after day, until it defines you”.
This can be defined in many ways.
I’m going to spot the light on the easiest concept behind consistency, discipline.
Being consistent is having a reason to continue what you’re doing.
The reason to continue writing for me is passion.
I found that I enjoy writing. Therefore I’m consistent and never missing a day. Even if I have plans, I prioritize writing.
That behavior might be true, and that I’m into writing, the only possible way for me to find out is to have time decide for me.
If it is true, time will tell, and I will continue writing even after my planned goal — the 90 days challenge. Read about how it all started here.
Habits
Today, I’m at day 37.
According to the author of “Atomic Habits,” James Clear:
“On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact.”
I’m more than halfway into my new habit and am still going.
Trying to force yourself to do something that you don’t enjoy is not worthwhile.
When you find something you enjoy doing, start it, make it a habit, add a goal, and plan for it.
Starting out of nowhere is not the proper way, do your homework.
Find people that are already doing what you are about to do.
Connect with them, ask them questions, share ideas, and learn from their experience and mistakes.
Build other complementary habits to what you intend to pursue.
If you want to become a writer, build the habit of reading.
Try to also incorporate healthy habits like exercise, eating healthy, and drinking a sufficient amount of water.
Having good habits in your arsenal will increase the likelihood of you succeeding at what you do.
Knowledge
Having to start something new can be overwhelming and intimidating.
I once read, “All beginners need is encouragement.”
Encouragement is extensive. One can encourage himself or by external encouragement from people.
To get at a sound level in doing what you’re about to do, having enough knowledge — the know-how — is essential.
Looking for the information can be easy. However, finding the proper sources can be challenging.
My recommendation is to start where every master started.
I’ll take writing an example in this sense.
Let’s say you want to learn writing. Where to start?
You need to first look for trustworthy people that are already writing.
I believe Twitter and Medium are the two best platforms to find good writers.
This is how I started, get into Twitter, unfollow all the clutter/spam/bad influence people — You can use Twitter lists instead.
Follow writers that are showing their work.
The trick is, they have to be consistent.
Follow their daily routines, their habits, their writings, etc.
Next is to read, read, and read Medium articles.
Make it a habit.
Every skill must have a prerequisite. Reading is the prerequisite for writing.
Read books, articles — from quality sources like Medium and Twitter threads.
Stop reading the news, random social media posts, and people complaining online.
Build your knowledge base, one step at a time.
Excuses
You’ve heard it before, people quit because they don’t have time, money, encouragement, results, outcome, etc.
All that are excuses.
You can never succeed at something if you have the “excuses” card in your pocket.
Every time you want to make a lame excuse — my favorite is “I don’t have time” — do the following:
- Limit what you do during the day to “one task only.”
- Block time for what you want to do.
- Have a timer. I use the Forest app.
- Listen to something that puts you into the flow state.
- Disable every possible distraction — especially your phone.
- Focus, you need to be fully recharged. I love mornings; find your time.
- Have a rule that during your “time block,” you don’t answer phone calls, messages, emails, or even people — let them know beforehand, don’t be rude.
- If you are a business owner, make sure to have a public calendar with your team and clarify that if you have a blocked time on your calendar, don’t contact me unless the company building is on fire.
- Work at a quiet place, not home, not with your kids, not in a coffee shop — unless it’s quiet and you have headphones on.
- Don’t be weak, do the work — you will not see instant results, one step at a time.
- Don’t say I don’t have time. You have 24 hours a day, block 1 hour, keep the 23 hours for yourself.
Consistency
The most important element in all this is consistency.
I’ve been working out since 2012 and still have the consistency even if the results are slow.
Why? I enjoy it. It makes my mood a lot better, energizes me, makes me healthier. That’s why.
To eat daily without missing a day is consistent.
Why didn’t you miss a day eating?
You have to.
It’s a necessity for living. You can not skip.
You have to have the same mentality for the one thing that you want to do.
I don’t recommend having many new skills/habits at the same time.
Limit your habits to two at the most.
You don’t want to find another excuse to quiet.
Consistency is what makes masters.
If you look around at the best writers, best actors, best athletes, and so on.
You will find one common element, consistency in what they do.
Try harder every time you found yourself wanting to quit.
Never give up the first time, keep going, and if you don’t enjoy it anymore — after a reasonable number of times — stop.
One important thing about the whole consistency thing is:
“Consistency over intensity.”
Don’t overwhelm yourself. Start very “stupid easy.”
Start with the minimum, add more over time.
Let’s say you want to start writing.
Do Not aim for 2 hours a day from day one.
Start for 5 minutes a day — as simple as it may sound, do it.
Then when you are comfortable with 5 minutes, double it to 10 next week.
Then 20, then 30, and so on.
But it is crucial not to overdo it.
When I started to lift weights, I couldn’t lift an empty bar (20 KG) to do a bench press.
I started to lift lighter dumbbells.
A month later, I can lift the 20 KG bar with the assistance of a spotter.
6 months later, I can do it myself.
1 year later, I added an extra 5 KG.
Today after 9 years of consistency, I can lift 120 KG on the bench press.
Most people want to reach 120 KG in the first month. Others are more patient and want it in the first year.
“Patience is key.
Discipline is the answer.”
Have a long-term vision of what you want to achieve.
Work for it the right way.
You will get there.
When is the “best time” to start?
Start NOW.
All the best.
Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it.
If you did, it would be great to share it.
You can reach me at @alounpro on Twitter.
Have a lovely day!
— Ahmad Aloun
