I’m not a therapist (but I’m a ghostwriter, which is close enough!). However, I know we all have hurts and hang-ups holding us back. If you feel stuck, a counselor or therapist can help. But a great way to begin making a fresh start in your life is to clean up your environment. The process of getting rid of material things you no longer need and cleaning your space can give you peace of mind. Don’t wait to do it perfectly. Get started right now and you’ll see what a difference it makes in your emotions, your creativity… and also your writing.Today’s Challenge: Right now, look around you and get rid of a piece of trash or an item you don’t need. Don’t overthink, just do it. This tiny act will empower you to keep going. Well done!

The post Clear the Clutter: Learning to Let Go appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

So far, we’ve talked about cleaning dirt, clearing desk drawers and piles of paper, and getting rid of books you’re not going to read. We’ve also focused on cleaning up computer files, email, and digital subscriptions you don’t use.

None of these steps will probably save you money. Today’s challenge is different because you’re going to look at paid services and subscriptions you no longer use.

As someone who runs a membership group (The Daily Writer Club), I love recurring income. It’s a fantastic business model because people continue to pay you month after month, or year after year if it’s an annual subscription.

As a consumer, I love it because it spreads out automated expenses into smaller chunks. But it’s also very easy to stay subscribed to services or tools you don’t actually use, especially if you don’t pay attention to your monthly expenses.

Here’s your assignment: go back through your last two months of bank or credit card charges. If you have a business checking account or credit card, do it for both personal and business.

Make a list of any recurring subscriptions or services you don’t use, then either cancel them or see if you can get a cheaper version if you still want to keep it. This goes for magazine subscriptions, streaming services, professional memberships, digital tools and apps… you name it.

Look at everything you’re spending money on. Pretend that you’re going into a meeting where you have to justify all those expenses to your boss. If you can’t justify the expense, it probably needs to go.

In doing this exercise myself, I canceled four items:

1. An $8/month subscription to a writing membership.
2. A $50/month subscription to a writing resource.
3. A $15/month subscription to a streaming service.
4. A $99/year subscription to a mind mapping app.

I just saved $80/month (almost $1,000/year) just by canceling things I wasn’t using anyway!

Keep in mind that you don’t always have to cancel something entirely. You can often get a discount if you try to cancel, or if you simply contact support or customer service and ask for a discount.

Likewise, you can often downgrade a subscription to a lower tier if you still want to keep it but don’t need the version you’re currently using.

What does all this have to do with writing? Writing isn’t just about the words and content. If you want to have a writing business, you need to think like a business owner. You can easily give yourself a raise if you cancel services and subscriptions you aren’t using.

Today’s Challenge: Go through your past two months’ worth of bank or credit card statements and make a list of subscriptions or services you’re not using. Then cancel or downgrade them.

The post Clear the Clutter: Paid Services & Subscriptions appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Now I want to help you clear even more digital and mental clutter by letting go of subscriptions to podcasts and email newsletter subscriptions that aren’t helping you.

This might seem ironic, given that you’re consuming this content right now either in the form of a podcast episode or an email newsletter. Obviously, you find this helpful or you wouldn’t be here.

But what about all those podcasts and email subscriptions clogging up your podcast player and inbox? You know, the ones you might get to someday… but probably won’t? You should let go of them.

I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity we have as content creators today. Anyone with a computer and internet connection can be a writer, author, or podcaster.

That also means, however, that there is far more content being produced than you can ever consume. So rather than trying to consume more and more, I teach that you should only consume things that you find really compelling, or that are helping you right now.

Here’s a simple way to decide what you should keep. I call it the “six-week test.” If you have read or listened to it in the last 6 weeks, or if you plan on reading or listening to it in the next six weeks, then keep it. Otherwise, unsubscribe from it.

I just went through my podcast app and unsubscribed from 15 podcasts using this method! Now, I feel less stressed when deciding which episodes to listen to.

You might ask, “What if there’s something good in those emails or podcasts that I’ll miss if I unsubscribe?”

Good question. I believe if something is important and is meant to be in your life, it will come around again at just the right time. Plus, since it’s digital, it will always be there to consume anyway.

Your time is limited. You only have so much bandwidth for email newsletters and podcasts. Let go of the ones you’re not using so you can focus on the ones that are truly valuable for you right now in your journey.

Today’s Challenge: Look through your inbox and podcasts, then delete the ones you’re not using. Don’t overthink it. It needs to be a clear “yes” in order for it to continue taking up space in your life.

The post Clear the Clutter: Podcasts & Email Subscriptions appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

I’m talking about all those unanswered emails sitting in your inbox. If you just felt a tinge of guilt when I brought up this issue, no worries. I’m here to help.

Let’s cut right to the chase: when you have a lot of unanswered emails, it causes you stress. Why? Because those are “open loops” of communication.

It’s like having a bunch of open tabs on your internet browser. Every time you see them, you feel guilty because you haven’t dealt with it… but you’re too overwhelmed to do anything about it. So, the problem keeps getting worse and worse.

The result is that you have people who are expecting a response from you. But you’re avoiding their messages, which causes you stress and makes you look unprofessional.

Here’s a little business secret: the most successful professionals are not necessarily the most talented. They are the ones who take action. A lot of deals are made, and a lot of business is done, just because people followed up in a timely way.

You might be the greatest writer in the world. But if you can’t answer your email in a timely way, you will frustrate people who need a response. You will also lose out to other writers who are more responsive and build better relationships with their readers, clients, or customers.

I want you to have GREAT relationships with people and be highly responsive. Here are nine simple tips for getting through all those unanswered emails.

1. Set a timer.

I do this frequently. I’ll set a timer for thirty and sixty minutes and rush like mad to get through my emails for the day. If you have a huge, undefined block of time when you’re working on email, it will take a lot longer than it should.

2. Make decisions quickly.

If an email requires you to decide something, make the decision and move on.

3. Don’t use your inbox as a task list.

If an email requires you to do something, move that action item to a separate list where you can prioritize those tasks. Then get rid of the email.

4. Keep emails short.

My friend David Hancock, founder of Morgan James Publishing, is a master at keeping emails short. You will be amazed at how much more efficient you become when you limit yourself to five sentences per email reply.

5. Set up a call for longer conversations.

I have noticed that many writers send very long, detailed emails. I also do this sometimes but I’m a lot better at it than I used to be. Email is not a very good tool for in-depth conversations.

6. Don’t be everybody’s hero.

We get sucked into email sometimes because people ask for solutions and answers. Use this opportunity to create a lead magnet, blog post, book, coaching package, or resource that answers people’s common questions on your topic. Point people to that instead of answering the same questions over and over again.

7. Reply within 48 hours.

Or better yet, within 24 hours. You can also use the genius technique that my friend Honorée Corder uses, which is setting up an autoresponder that gets sent to people automatically, letting them know you have received their email.

8. Make a video instead of sending an email reply.

I do this often. Instead of sending a long and drawn-out email, I use the Loom app to send a personal video. It’s a nice personal touch that requires less time than writing.

9. Don’t respond to every email.

If someone is critical, out of line, or just plain weird, you don’t have to respond. The email police are not going to arrest you. There is a lot of power in taking control of whom you let into your life, and whom you ignore.

There you have it: nine tips for dealing with those unanswered messages. If you find your email inbox constantly growing and causing you stress, these tips will help you make more mental space for other more important activities.

Today’s Challenge: Choose one of the tips I’ve mentioned and use it immediately. If I had to pick JUST ONE tip, I’d recommend keeping your emails short. That alone will drastically cut down on your email time.

The post Clear the Clutter: Unanswered Emails appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

As a writer, you don’t want to spend all your time looking for files and information. You’d rather be writing! Here are five simple tips to clear your computer clutter and help you be more productive:

1. Clean your computer desktop.

Whenever I take a screenshot on my Mac, it goes onto my desktop by default. Sometimes I drop other files there as a handy reference in the short term. Move these files to their proper home in your filing system, or delete the files if you don’t need them.

2. Organize your files into a few big folders.

This keeps things very simple and uncluttered instead of having a long list of more specific files you have to search through constantly. I have major folders for the following areas: Clients, Daily Writer Club, Daily Writer Podcast, Writing, Business, and Personal.

3. Use numbers in your folder titles to create a hierarchy.

The folders I access most frequently are Clients and Daily Writer Club. I label these “00 Clients” and “01 Daily Writer Club” so they appear in that order. And so on for the rest of the files, in order of how often I access them. Keep your most frequently used folders on top. You can also use an asterisk in front of a folder name to move it automatically to the top of the list.

4. Delete files you don’t need.

I used to have a long list of free PDFs I had downloaded from various websites and email lists over the years. I’ve deleted most of these because I’ll never get to them. Most of them aren’t relevant to what I’m doing now anyway.

5. Back up your files to both a cloud drive and a physical drive.

I keep all my files both on my MacBook hard drive and Dropbox. I also use the Time Machine feature on Mac to back up all my files to an external drive every day. Backing up your computer never seems urgent… until it is!

BONUS TIP: Use a “holding space” for notes and ideas. I use the Notes app on my Mac and iPhone. It syncs instantly so it’s always updated on both devices. I use it for quick voice notes, ideas, some meeting notes, and other odds and ends. Then every month or two, I organize these notes and put them into Evernote (my digital brain), Scrivener (my main writing app), or wherever they belong.

Since we spend so much time on our computers and devices, it’s important to de-clutter occasionally. The word of the day is “simple.” When you keep your files and organization simple and clutter-free, you can spend more time on writing and building your business.

Today’s Challenge: I hope you follow through on all these tips, but the most important one is keeping your files backed up. If you don’t already do that, sign up for a cloud-based backup service like Dropbox or start using an external drive.

The post Clear the Clutter: Computer Files appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

I’m talking about getting rid of books that no longer serve you.

In the course of my ministry, teaching, and writing career, I’ve moved offices several times. Every time I do, I realize that print books are a huge pain to move!

As a voracious reader, and now as a full-time writer, I love books. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t get a book or two in the mail. Over time, these have added up and I’ve run out of shelf space more than once.

Every year or two, I do a “book purge.” It works like this: I take a couple of hours to go through all my books and set aside the ones I no longer need. I try to use the “moving next month” principle, in which I ask myself, “If I were moving next month, would I want to pack this book and take it with me?”

It’s OK to have overflowing shelves of books right now. However, the fact is that those books will need to be moved at some point in the future. Whether it’s you or perhaps your spouse or kids after you die, somebody will need to figure out what to do with the books.

The older I get, the less sentimental I feel toward books. If you have moved anytime recently, you know the lack of sentimentality you have when actually lugging all that stuff around.

That’s why I believe in an aggressive approach to book purging. Unless you have a particular sentimental attachment to a book, or you’re going to need it in the next few years, you should question whether to keep it.

Using this principle, I have downsized my library by a couple of thousand books over the last few years. I’ve either sold the books on Amazon, or more recently, donated them to Goodwill.

Every time I go through this process, I come across books that were once important to me, but no longer need to be part of my journey going forward. A book should earn its place on your bookshelf.

But if it’s not relevant to you right now, it might be helpful to someone else. That’s why I advocate for liberal generosity when giving books away. Plus, you can always buy another copy or get the ebook or audiobook version, if you need it again.

Please note: A book is just a collection of ideas and stories that represent a particular author’s viewpoint or experience at that point in their life. It might have been important to you at one point, but it isn’t anymore.

But if it is, then keep that book and re-read it! Give it a prized place on your shelf. A great book that helps you is a wonderful lifelong companion.

Today’s Challenge: To get started, take one minute and look at a single shelf of books in your home or office. Select at least one book you no longer need. Gift it to a friend or donate it to Goodwill.

The post Clear the Clutter: Books That Need a New Home appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

It begins by facing the truth that your office or work area is probably a lot dirtier than you realize. All you need to do is take a close look at your computer keyboard or run your finger over a bookshelf to get a firsthand glimpse of the dust and dirt that covers nearly every surface of your office or work area.

I’m no cleaning expert, but I recommend taking a few minutes to tackle these three areas to help you get a solid start in cleaning:

1. Clean the floor and walls. Break out the vacuum, broom, or mop. Wipe down the baseboards and walls, making sure to get the dirt, grime, and cobwebs, especially near the ceiling.
2. Clean your desk area and shelves. Take off the items and wipe down every square inch of your desk if possible. Wash your desk mats if you use them. Clean your computer keyboard and mouse with alcohol and Q-tips. Dust off the shelves and bookcases.
3. Clean the windows, doors, dry-erase boards or other hard surfaces. It’s amazing to me how dirty these surfaces can get, especially doors.

I know some people believe that the process of cleaning windows and doors brings in a new spiritual energy. I don’t know how all that works, but I do know that when you have a clean work area, you FEEL better, like you have a fresh start.

Even if you do nothing else, this single act of taking a few minutes to clean the dirt from surfaces will give you a new energy and vitality!

Today’s Challenge: Before you go to bed, take ten minutes to clean these areas where you write and notice you good you feel!

The post Clear the Clutter: Dirt, Dust & Grime appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

But there is more to writing success than just doing the work. A big part of the equation is the environment in which you do your work. Since we’re still in January, this is a natural time to think about changes that can make it easier and more fun to write.

Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll focus on some ways to clear the clutter in your workspace. 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.

Most of the time we don’t give a lot of attention to how our workspace is organized—or if it’s been organized at all! But if this is where your creative work comes to life, you should make sure it’s set up for maximum efficiency.

There is an intimate link between your physical environment and your mind. When you clear the clutter from your environment and have an orderly, clean place to work, you can be more productive and less anxious.

All that said, some writers still believe that a messy workspace somehow benefits their creative output. I can just hear the voices of protest: “But Kent,” you say, “I’m a stereotypical writer or creative person. I do my best work in a messy, chaotic environment.”

If that describes your point of view, let me share three observations:

1. I don’t buy the stereotype of a messy writer or artist. Sure, there are disorganized creative people. There are disorganized, messy people in every kind of field. But not all writers or artists are like that. The most successful writers I know are highly organized and strategic people.
2. Being disorganized and messy is a choice, not a personality trait. Yes, certain personalities tend to be more clean and organized by nature. However, you can make the choice to have a neat work environment.
3. Just because you CAN work in a messy environment doesn’t mean that you should. It’s like driving a car with low air pressure in the tires. Can you still drive that way? Yes. But can you do something about it? Yes. You can put more air in the tires and the car will function more efficiently. If you currently have a messy workspace and everything seems fine, you can be even more productive with a clean workspace.

If you’re ready to make a fresh start and begin creating a better environment for your writing, tune in over the next couple of weeks for the rest of the series!

Today’s Challenge: Ask yourself how you could benefit from having a neater, more organized workspace for writing.

The post Clear the Clutter: Series Introduction appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

The post Bestselling Author Janet McHenry on Studying the Form for Your Writing appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

We writers deal with thousands of seeds. Those seeds are ideas. They are scraps of stories, articles, books, speeches, or workshops. Ideas come and go by the dozens every day. It’s hard to tell in the moment which ones are worth keeping, and which we should discard.

That’s why we need to make a habit of planting those seeds—in other words, keeping track of them. Much has been written about different systems to organize your ideas. You can use printed journals, computer apps, a notecard system, or any of a dozen other ways to store and organize ideas.

The system doesn’t matter as much as your consistency in recording those ideas and keeping them somewhere you can retrieve them. A good option is to use a combination of tools—perhaps a small notebook you carry with you, plus apps where you transfer ideas and then search for them later.

If you want a harvest of good writing, you have to plant your ideas in some kind of system where they can take shape. Don’t trust your memory. Many great ideas have been lost because people forgot to write them down.

If you don’t have a good system, ask three writer friends what they use and start implementing a system within the next day.

Question: Do you have a system in place to record and retrieve your ideas?

The post Planting: Keep Track of Your Ideas appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.