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4 Observations About Writing Habits · The Daily Writer

• 0:06
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the Daily Rider Podcast, where we bring you tips and inspiration each day to help you build habits for writing success.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: For more resources, including your free Daily Rider Starter Kit, visit DailyWriterLife.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: We're doing a short series on writing habits, and yesterday we talked about how writing habits are the pathway to all of your writing dreams.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: You can have all the marketing skills in the world, all the business skills, all the opportunities, but without the writing habit to actually produce the work, none of those things will help very much.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: So with that in mind, today I'll share four simple observations about writing habits.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Observation number one, a habit helps ensure that you get the work done.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: A habit is just a mechanism that increases the likelihood that you'll actually do the work.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: There's nothing magical about it.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: It just helps ensure that the magic will happen.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: But here's the thing, you have to commit to the habit before the magic will happen.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: It's just like digging a well.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_00: You have to put the work in before the water will flow.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: The water's not just going to magically flow to you.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: You have to give the water a pathway to flow to you, and a writing habit is that pathway.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Observation number two, a habit that works for somebody else won't always work for you.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_00: There's a big danger in the writing world, and it's this.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: We see what works for other people and we want to use it as a shortcut to our own success.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't always work that way.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: You have your own life, your own obligations, your own energy, your own sense of flow, your own schedule, and so many other things that are unique to your situation.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: And seeing what works for other people can be a good guide for us, but it doesn't always work to just copy it outright.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: And that's why you've got to develop your writing habit that's specific to the time, the location, and the tools that you use to write.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: Observation number three: a habit becomes more valuable the more that it's integrated into your daily life.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, let's be honest, it's hard to establish your routine at first, but the more that you stick with it to see what works, the more it's going to help you.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: Over time, a habit ceases to be a quote-unquote habit, and instead it becomes something that's integrated with your identity.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: The habit is part of who you are, not just something that you do.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_00: And the more this happens, the more valuable it becomes and the more that it'll give you.
• 2:28
  SPEAKER_00: Observation number four, a routine takes time to establish.
• 2:33
  SPEAKER_00: Experts differ on how long it should take to establish a new habit.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: Some say 21 days, others say 30 days, and some say 40 or 60 days.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: And no matter how you slice it, it's going to take some time, probably a minimum of three to four weeks.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's important to understand that going into it, you're going to be uncomfortable for a little while until the habit feels normal, but nobody ever became successful by being comfortable.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, let's be honest.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: You don't get to do things that are greater in your life.
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: You don't get the rewards unless you do something that's different or uncomfortable.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: So there you go, those are four observations about habits.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_00: And tomorrow we'll start diving into some specific ways to develop a writing habit that can change your life.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Here's today's question: Does the idea of building a new habit sound exciting or intimidating?
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: And why?
• 3:21
  SPEAKER_00: Today's episode is an excerpt from our brand new ebook, How to Build a Writing Habit.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: And you can get this book for free along with six other ebooks on writing as part of our free Daily Writer Starter Kit.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Just go to dailywriterlife.comslash free.