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Hey my friend, welcome to the Daily Writer, where we help writers become authors of their own lives.
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:15.679
If you want to build a consistent writing habit, I want you to consider a really important question, which is what are you actually trying to accomplish?
00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.679
The reason that this question is so important is that a writing habit is not the goal itself.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.960
Rather, a writing habit is a means to an end.
00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.679
The habit is just a structure that helps you accomplish something bigger.
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.719
That's why the first key to building a writing habit is to decide on a specific goal that's meaningful to you.
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.240
Now, what is that goal?
00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:39.840
It could be a variety of things.
00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.280
Maybe you want to write the first draft of a book or publish a weekly email newsletter.
00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:54.079
Maybe it's finishing a poetry collection or writing a series of articles or starting to build a body of work that you can eventually publish.
00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:00.640
Whatever your goal is, it needs to matter enough to you that the daily work feels worth it.
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:08.079
Stephen Pressfield, in his excellent book, The War of Art, one of my favorites, describes what happens when we get to work.
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.680
He says, The muse takes note of our dedication.
00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:13.040
She approves.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.439
We have earned favor in her sight.
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:21.840
When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:30.319
Every time you sit down to write, you're collecting a few more of those iron filings, and eventually they grow into a finished project.
00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.799
But you have to know what you're building first.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:35.040
So here's my challenge for you today.
00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.319
Grab a notepad and answer two very simple questions.
00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.000
Number one, what is my most important writing goal right now?
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:46.079
And number two, what will it look like when that project is finished?
00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:50.159
And be as specific as you can when answering those questions.
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:57.680
When you know what you're working toward and when you know what you're building, it's a lot easier to create a habit that'll help you get there.
00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.120
Hey, thanks for listening.
00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.159
Keep writing, keep showing up, and I'll see you tomorrow.
00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:06.480
Hey my friend, welcome to the Daily Writer, where we help writers become authors of their own lives.
00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:15.679
If you want to build a consistent writing habit, I want you to consider a really important question, which is what are you actually trying to accomplish?
00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.679
The reason that this question is so important is that a writing habit is not the goal itself.
00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:24.960
Rather, a writing habit is a means to an end.
00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:29.679
The habit is just a structure that helps you accomplish something bigger.
00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:36.719
That's why the first key to building a writing habit is to decide on a specific goal that's meaningful to you.
00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:38.240
Now, what is that goal?
00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:39.840
It could be a variety of things.
00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:45.280
Maybe you want to write the first draft of a book or publish a weekly email newsletter.
00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:54.079
Maybe it's finishing a poetry collection or writing a series of articles or starting to build a body of work that you can eventually publish.
00:00:54.320 --> 00:01:00.640
Whatever your goal is, it needs to matter enough to you that the daily work feels worth it.
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:08.079
Stephen Pressfield, in his excellent book, The War of Art, one of my favorites, describes what happens when we get to work.
00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:11.680
He says, The muse takes note of our dedication.
00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:13.040
She approves.
00:01:13.280 --> 00:01:15.439
We have earned favor in her sight.
00:01:15.599 --> 00:01:21.840
When we sit down and work, we become like a magnetized rod that attracts iron filings.
00:01:22.799 --> 00:01:30.319
Every time you sit down to write, you're collecting a few more of those iron filings, and eventually they grow into a finished project.
00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.799
But you have to know what you're building first.
00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:35.040
So here's my challenge for you today.
00:01:35.280 --> 00:01:38.319
Grab a notepad and answer two very simple questions.
00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:42.000
Number one, what is my most important writing goal right now?
00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:46.079
And number two, what will it look like when that project is finished?
00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:50.159
And be as specific as you can when answering those questions.
00:01:50.719 --> 00:01:57.680
When you know what you're working toward and when you know what you're building, it's a lot easier to create a habit that'll help you get there.
00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:59.120
Hey, thanks for listening.
00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.159
Keep writing, keep showing up, and I'll see you tomorrow.
