Creating a writing habit

I want to try and form a habit with my writing. I think if I don’t create a regular time / space to write then it’s unlikely I’ll just do it on a whim. My desire to write is not like my desire to run. With running I eventually get frustrated that I haven’t run in a while and so off I go. There is some kind of in built switch that flips, and as soon as that happens it won’t be long until I have laced up my trainers.

Writing isn’t like that however. I find myself making notes fairly regularly about the things I would like to write about, but the list just gets longer and longer, and then when I get round to reviewing it the items I’ve added no longer interest me.

Maybe the solution is writing as soon as the thought enters my head? However that feels impractical as I could be literally anywhere at that time.

So my plan is to set aside some time to write every Sunday night. At least then the items on my list will only have had a maximum of seven days to go stale. My goal is also to publish. Writing alone isn’t enough. The point is to write something and get it out there. If I feel the need to edit later in the week (which I usually do) it’ll be for the sake of tidy up only.

I’m aware how ironic it is that my first piece of “habit writing” is about creating a writing habit. But week one is done, and I feel good about my progress.

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My name is Dan, I'm a product manager and entrepreneur living and working in London. Check out my blog archive or read more about me.