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Transcript

Clear the Clutter: Series Introduction · 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 Writer Starter Kit, visit DailyWriterLife.com.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Here on this podcast, as well as in my daily emails and our Daily Writer Club membership group, we talk a lot about strategies to be more productive as a writer.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: After all, if you don't find ways to get the writing work done, you won't have any books to publish, market, or sell.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: But there's more to writing success than just getting the work done.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: A big part of the equation, in my opinion, is the environment where you do your work.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: And since we're in January, this is a natural time to think about changes that can make it easier and more fun to write.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: So over the next couple of weeks, we're going to be focusing on some ways to clear the clutter in your workspace.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_00: And although we writers like to talk about lofty ideas like book concepts, character arcs, or publishing strategies, the plain truth is that your environment has a big impact on your mindset and writing success.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, most of the time we don't give a lot of attention to how our workspace is organized.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Or, you know, for some writers, let's be honest, we don't pay attention to if it's organized at all.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: But if this is where your creative work comes to life, you should make sure that it's set up for maximum efficiency.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: I believe there's an intimate link between your physical environment and your mind.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: When you clear the clutter from your environment and you have an orderly, clean place to work, you can be more productive and a lot less anxious.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now, all that said, some writers still believe that a messy workspace somehow benefits their creative output.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I can just hear the voices of protest.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: But Kent, you say, I'm a stereotypical writer or I'm a stereotypical creative person.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: I do my best work in a messy, chaotic environment.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_00: So if that describes your point of view, let me share three observations.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_00: Number one is that I don't buy the stereotype of a messy writer or artist.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now, sure, there are disorganized creative people, but there are disorganized, messy people in every kind of field.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_00: It's not like being messy is unique to artists or writers.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_00: However, not all writers or artists are like that.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: The most successful writers I know, in fact, are highly organized and strategic people.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard for me to think of the successful writers and authors who I know personally.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard for me to imagine the successful writers who I personally know.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_00: It's hard for me to imagine walking into their workspace or their office area and it being a complete disaster.
• 2:46
  SPEAKER_00: I just don't think that would be the case because the rest of their lives are really organized and strategic.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I can't imagine that their work area is a giant mess.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_00: So I don't buy the stereotype of the messy writer.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Number two, I think that being disorganized and messy is a choice and not a personality trait.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, of course, certain personalities probably tend to be more clean and organized by nature.
• 3:10
  SPEAKER_00: For example, if you're a highly aggressive person, if you're a highly assertive person, you probably tend to be that way in all areas of your life.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: You tend to like things very straight-laced and like things very organized and orderly.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: And some people are just more chill and laid back.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: But I don't think that's necessarily a function of your personality.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: I think messiness is a choice.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: So because of that, I think you can make the choice to have a neat, clean, organized work environment.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: And then observation number three is just because you can work in a messy environment doesn't mean that you should.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: It's kind of like driving a car with low air pressure in the tires.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: Can you still drive that way?
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Well, yeah, you can still get where you're going, but should you do something about it?
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, you should, because you're in danger and you're gonna compromise the efficiency of your car and you might actually put yourself in physical harm if your tire pressure is too low.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: So, yeah, you can do it, but it's not really the ideal situation.
• 4:09
  SPEAKER_00: So if you currently have a messy workspace and everything seems fine, I think you can be a lot more productive with a clean workspace.
• 4:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it's like if you think you're doing well in a gigantically messy office, I'm not even sure gigantically is a word, but we're gonna go with it today.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: If you can work in a gigantically messy office, imagine what you could do and imagine how much more productive you could be and how much less stressed you could be if you had an office that was highly efficient and organized.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So, with all this being said, if you're ready to make a fresh start and begin creating a better environment for your writing, I want you to make sure and listen to the next couple of weeks' worth of podcast episodes for this series on Clear the Clutter.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Here's today's challenge.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: Ask yourself how you could benefit from having a neater, more organized workspace for your writing.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thanks for listening, and I'll see you guys tomorrow.