We’re writers, after all—we are wired to create!

However, one of the dangers of being part of the creative entrepreneur culture is that it’s easy to get sucked into the mindset of always doing more. On today’s episode, I’ll share three “anti-goals” to keep in mind this year. These are not things to add to your plate… instead, they are things to STOP doing.

Being a successful writer isn’t just about doing the right things. It’s also about getting rid of the wrong things.

This is the teaching portion of a recent Daily Writer Club call. On our weekly call, we also have a time of discussion and application. If you’d like to be a part of our encouraging and growing community, check it out at https://dailywriterclub.com.

The post The Power of Anti-Goals: 3 Things to STOP Doing This Year appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Isn’t it ironic that we live in such a technologically advanced age… yet we seem to be drowning in paper? On any given day, I’m dealing with several pages of notes I’ve taken during meetings, receipts from purchases, cards or other items I’ve gotten in the mail, and other paper items.

My general rule is that you should only keep a paper item unless it’s absolutely necessary. So, whenever I encounter paper, I do one of three things:

1. File it physically (in a file cabinet or drawer, or box). Obviously, you should keep paper items you’ll need later, like car titles, personal property tax statements, some items related to taxes, sentimental items, etc.
2. File it digitally. Anytime I take notes, I transfer these to my computer. Most of the time, I type these into Evernote, which is my digital brain. For example, I had several meetings yesterday, so today I’ll go through these 8 pages of notes and put the information in the relevant Evernote notebooks.

If I don’t need to keep the actual item, but I need the image (such as an insurance card), I’ll take a picture and file it in Evernote. Some people like apps such as Notion or OneNote. It doesn’t really matter what you use as long as you can easily organize and recall information and notes later on. For me, Evernote continues to be my app of choice.

3. Shred or discard it. Once you’re done with paper, or if you don’t need it to begin with, get rid of it. Just like knick-knacks or random junk demands your attention, paper does too.

The same is true for magazines, newspapers, and journals. If you subscribe to any of these in print form, clip any items you want and file them digitally, then discard them. Or better yet, cancel the subscription if you don’t actually read them.

Whenever you handle paper, try to make a decision about it as soon as possible, then take action on it. When you wind up with piles of paper to go through, it causes stress and anxiety. This kind of mental state makes it harder to be creative and productive.

I know that none of this sounds exciting or “sexy.” It’s all rather mundane. But the reality of the writing life—and any kind of life that involves creative work—is that we need to do the daily work of making space for creativity. Once you clear the clutter, you’re giving much more space and energy for the Muse to show up and work her magic.

Today’s Challenge: Gather the notes and random papers lying around your work area and house. Take a few minutes to file them away, transfer the information to a digital file, or discard them. Even if you have a big pile of papers, the simple act of gathering them together is a great start!

The post Clear the Clutter: Piles of Paper appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Let’s talk about the biggest perceived productivity killer: writer’s block.

Whatever you’re working on right now, you’re bound to get stuck at some point. When you stumble upon “writer’s block,” here are ten tips to keep the words flowing.

1. Lower your standards. Many times, we get stuck because we’re trying to make it perfect. Be willing to write garbage just to get a draft done, then go back and revise it.
2. Brainstorm ideas on a whiteboard, legal pad, or post-it note. Changing the size of the canvas will often help you get past your block.
3. Take a nap. You might just be tired. History is replete with examples of famous creative people who took naps to be more productive.
4. Take a walk. When you walk, the blood circulates in your body more, and you’re more alert and attentive. It’s amazing how many problems get solved in your head just by walking for ten or twenty minutes.
5. Play with a toy. I keep a couple of fidget spinners on my desk. One’s in the shape of Captain America’s shield, and the other is in the shape of Thor’s hammer. It’s amazing how playing with these for a couple of minutes helps me solve writing problems.
6. Get up and drink a glass of water. Most of us are dehydrated, and this activity plus water will refresh your body and your mind.
7. Free write for three minutes. Free writing is just letting your hand write whatever comes to mind without stopping or judging yourself. It clears your creative palate and lets your subconscious take over for a bit.
8. Switch locations. Go to another desk or another part of the house. Or you can go somewhere else entirely, like the library or coffee shop. The change in scenery will spark your creativity.
9. Switch media. If you write on a computer, switch to a legal or journal. Use a different writing tool like a marker or crayon. You’re helping your brain to make a switch that will break the block.
10. Read something for ten minutes. Preferably, something in print. The change in media, and also holding something tactile, will give your brain a new input.

3 Bonus tips:

11. Do a mundane task. Take a twenty-minute break for a mundane chore like dishes, yard work, or folding laundry. This is similar to walking in that it will give you something physical to do. The new energy and change of pace will give you new ideas and solutions to your writing block.
12. Write your content as an email. If I’m feeling stuck, sometimes I’ll open my email app on my computer and write in that. That way, it feels like I’m writing an informal message to a friend rather than something with higher stakes like a blog post or book chapter. It sounds crazy, but it really does work.
13. Use a timer. On my desk, I keep a little 5-minute hourglass timer with sand inside. When I feel blocked, I make a game out of it by turning the timer upside down and seeing how much I can write before the sand runs out.

If you’re feeling blocked or a little stuck, these tips can make a big difference!

Today’s Challenge: Choose one of these tips to help you conquer writer’s block today.

The post The Productive Writer: Conquer Writer’s Block appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

* * *

B is for Blank Page

The blank page represents the space where you create your art. It can be a computer, studio, canvas, or a literal blank page. When you look behind the page, you’ll see two creatures: the Monster and the Muse.

First, there is the Monster. The Monster feeds on fear and likes to taunt you with these kinds of thoughts:

This won’t be any good.

Nobody likes what you’re doing.

You’ll never be a real artist.

When are you going to give up these silly dreams?

Every time you think about quitting, you feed the Monster. Every time you tell yourself your art doesn’t matter, you feed the Monster. Every time you listen to the naysayers and the doubters, you feed the Monster. Every time you let your dreams slip out the back door of your life, you feed the Monster.

Steven Pressfield calls this force “Resistance.” In his landmark book, The War of Art, he writes, “Resistance has no strength of its own. Every ounce of juice it possesses comes from us. We feed it with power by our fear of it.”  The Monster feeds on fear, and you must starve it to death.

But there is also the Muse. The Muse is a magical creature that brings out the best in you. The Muse speaks words of life, hope, and beauty:

You were born for this.

You’re making a difference in people’s lives.

There are people who love what you’re doing.

You have amazing potential.

The Muse feeds on faith and it is the wellspring of creativity within you. (As a person of faith, I believe God has an awful lot to do with this.) The Muse gives you the power to inspire, teach, and bless others.

Every time you pick up your pen or paintbrush, you feed the Muse. Every time you put your head down and do the work, you feed the Muse. Every time you improve your skills, you feed the Muse. Every time you serve someone with your art, you feed the Muse.

Look behind every blank page and you’ll find the Monster and the Muse. One feeds on fear. The other feeds on faith.

Which one will you feed?

The post B is for Blank Page – Excerpt from “The Artist’s Suitcase” appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

The area I knew the least about was architecture. I had always been fascinated by it, but never studied it in-depth. Over the years, as I have learned more about architecture, it has become one of my favorite subjects.

I’m especially drawn to Gothic cathedrals. These medieval works of art represent one of the pinnacles of human ingenuity and creativity. The designers, laborers, and craftsmen worked for decades, in some cases centuries, to complete these massive projects.

My personal favorite is Chartres Cathedral in France. Built from 1194-1260, it’s one of the oldest Gothic cathedrals. Chartres is famous for several iconic features, including its beautiful stained-glass windows, a medieval labyrinth, and a purported relic of the Virgin Mary’s tunic.

Consider the mindset of the artists and craftsmen who built Gothic cathedrals. They worked to build something they knew would outlive them—not only by decades, but by centuries.

That’s a stark contrast to today’s creative world, where we don’t normally think in centuries or decades, or even years. We think in weeks and days, hours and moments.

Today, most of our creative work is designed for quick consumption. We share social media posts that we hope people “like” in the 30 minutes after the upload. We write blog posts that we hope go viral in the days after they are published. We hope our book gets traction in the weeks and months after it’s released. We hope our podcast or video gets downloaded thousands (or millions!) of times.

I’m not saying those things are bad. I engage in all of those mediums, and more. But is there a way to balance the need for relevance and timeliness with a more long-term perspective on our creative work?

The real question is: Will your creative work outlive you? We don’t create just for today. We create for decades from today. So let us create, work, and write with excellence. And with a view to impact not just people today… but many years from now, just as we enjoy the Gothic cathedrals today, many hundreds of years after they were built.

Question: How do you think your writing might impact people decades into the future?

The post Your Work Will Outlive You appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Most people are passive observers to their own lives. They accept the choices that life hands to them. They assume what they see other people doing is what they should be doing also. They go along with the crowd, never rock the boat, and never achieve their dreams.

On the other hand, successful writers know that life is not a multiple-choice test. If they don’t like the options in front of them, they create new ones.

How do we do this? We do this by taking advantage of all the amazing opportunities we have today as writers. There is an almost unlimited number of opportunities for you to get your work in front of readers and make a good living while doing it. In fact, we just finished a series on making money as a writer. I encourage you to go back and listen to it if you want a few tangible ways to start making income with your skills.

Is it hard to strike out on your own pathway while everyone around you is conforming to social norms? While everyone else is doing what other people expect? While everyone else is not writing books or putting in the work to build their own writing business?

Of course, it’s challenging. Nobody said this would be easy. But if you are going to make something happen, this is not the time to be passive. This is not the time to limit your options. The world is a giant buffet of opportunity. Will you take advantage of it?

Question: Are you ready to start making the most of your opportunities and create your own success as a writer?

The post Life is Not a Multiple-Choice Test appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Most writers feel this way about their work, too. You probably feel some type of nudge or pull toward your creative work. Regardless of whether you believe this comes from God or another source, the important thing is that we obey this calling and don’t try to run from it.

When we run, we are unhappy. When we do the work to fulfill our calling, we have a deep sense of joy and we also serve others with our gifts.

This calling, though, is never finished. It’s an ongoing pilgrimage that lasts your whole life. The author and ghostwriter Jeff Goins said, “Your calling is not a destination. It is a journey that doesn’t end until you die.”

None of us ever “arrives” as a writer in the sense that we have learned all we can learn or that we have somehow completed the mission. The mission, your calling, never ends. It is not just about how many books you write or what other accomplishments you might have. It is also about embracing the creative life, the life of an artist.

And that’s always a journey worth taking.

Question: Do you feel a calling to write? Why or why not?

The post Your Calling is Never Complete appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

1. Lower your standards. Many times, we get stuck because we’re trying to make it perfect. Be willing to write garbage just to get a draft done, then go back and revise it.
2. Brainstorm ideas on a white board, legal pad, or post-it note. Changing the size of the canvas will often help you get past your block, whether it’s a huge canvas like a white board, or a tiny one like a post-it note.
3. Take a nap. You might just be tired. History is replete with examples of famous creative people who took naps to be more productive.
4. Take a walk. When you walk, the blood circulates in your body more, and you’re more alert and attentive. It’s amazing how many problems get solved in your head just by walking for ten or twenty minutes.
5. Play with a toy. I keep a few “snake toys” beside my desk to play with. It consists of a bunch of triangles connected, and you can make it into an infinite number of shapes. This brain switching helps me solve writing problems quite frequently.
6. Get up and drink a glass of water. Most of us are dehydrated, and getting up to grab some water will refresh your body and your mind.
7. Free write for three minutes. Free writing is just letting your hand write whatever comes to mind without stopping or judging yourself. It clears your creative palate and lets your subconscious take over for a bit. It also helps break creative blocks.
8. Switch locations. Go to another desk or another part of the house. Or you can go somewhere else entirely, like the library or coffee shop. The change in scenery will spark your creativity.
9. Switch media. If you write on computer, switch to a legal pad or journal. Use a different writing tool like a marker or crayon. Again, you’re helping your brain to make a switch that will break the block.
10. Read something for ten minutes. Preferably, something in print. The change in media, and also holding something tactile, will give your brain a new input.

TWO BONUS TIPS

11. Do a mundane task. Take a twenty-minute break for a mundane chore like dishes, yard work, or folding laundry. This is similar to walking in that it will give you something physical to do. The new energy and change of pace will give you new ideas and solutions to your writing block.
12. Write your content as an email. If I’m feeling stuck, sometimes I’ll open my email app on my computer and write in that. That way, it feels like I’m writing an informal message to a friend rather than something with higher stakes like a blog post or book chapter. It sounds crazy, but it really does work.

If you’re feeling blocked or a little stuck, pick one of these tips and use it today!

Question: Which tip are you going to use to help you defeat writer’s block?

The post 10 Tips to Beat Writer’s Block appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

It might be blog posts, book chapters, social media posts, podcast material, or in the case of myself, I’m sorry to admit, entire books you have written but never released for one reason or another.

I call this my personal slush pile. The slush pile can be a great source of material when you’re looking for ideas or get a little short on time.

The term “slush pile” came from the days when writers would send manuscripts to publishers and agents through the mail. They would get far more manuscripts than they could possibly use, so they would put them in a big heap called the slush pile.

The more you write, the bigger your personal slush pile becomes. I recommend keeping all your work on a location, or locations, where you can easily get to it. You need to have some kind of organized filing system, even if it’s just a document that’s title “unused ideas.”

The slush pile is not the same as a trash pile—not by a long shot. I don’t believe in trash piles for writers. Anytime you write something, it’s fair game as a spark for another idea, or to be revised or updated later. Never throw any ideas, or any writing, away because it might come in handy later.

C.S. Lewis said, “When you give up a bit of work don’t (unless it is hopelessly bad) throw it away. Put it in a drawer. It may come in useful later. Much of my best work, or what I think my best, is the re-writing of things begun and abandoned years earlier.”

If a writer the caliber of C.S. Lewis lived by this advice, surely it’s good enough for me and you also.

Question: Where do you keep you personal slush pile, and have you looked at it recently to search for ideas you can use?

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I thought it would be fun to consider five specific things each of us can be thankful for today.

1. The opportunities you have today. There are more opportunities for writers than ever before. You have access to virtually everyone on the planet with an internet connection. You can self-publish or go with traditional or hybrid publishing. You can blog, podcast, create videos, and more. The opportunities are endless.
2. The people in your life who support your writing. Sometimes, we are so focused on our goals that we forget about the people who make our writing possible. Think about the family, friends, and colleagues who have supported you and helped you along the way.
3. The incredible tools at your disposal. Think about how much harder it was fifty or a hundred years ago to connect with people and simply get your writing done. Today you don’t even have to type… you can use voice-to-text! We don’t realize how good we have it.
4. The amazing stories all around us. This is the golden age of storytelling, when there are so many great books, movies, streaming shows, and other formats of stories being told. There is unlimited inspiration all around you.
5. The access you have to so much learning. Never before in the history of the world have you been able to learn in so many ways, in so many places, from so many people. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Whatever you want to learn, someone is teaching it somewhere.

These are just a few of the things we can be grateful for as writers. I hope you will take a few moments today as you gather around the dinner table to acknowledge that we indeed live in an incredible time.

Question: Which of the five items above are you most thankful for?

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