One day, the sand in your hourglass will run out. We have a limited amount of time on this earth. What will be left after you’re gone? Certainly, there will be social media posts, mementos, people’s memories, and what you created.

Those things can fade over time, but your words can be immortal.

We all have the same amount of time in life. Life is never going to be ideal, and things are not going to slow down. There is always going to be something happening. You write in the midst of an imperfect life, in the mess and the muck of what is happening all around you.

In the musical Hamilton, Eliza Hamilton asks her husband, “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?”

The truth is that we’re all running out of time. You don’t have an infinite number of days. You only have a limited amount of time on this earth. How will you spend the days you have?

Question: Does knowing your life will come to an end someday motivate you to make the most of every day? Why or why not?

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But nothing could be further from the truth. Every single day is unique. This day will never come around again. You only have this one shot, so don’t blow this one opportunity to live these twenty-four hours. So, you must treat today like the gift it truly is.

It’s not just about us, though. We have to treat our audience the same way. We have to show up every day, ready to write, ready to create, ready to serve. They deserve the best you can give.

The legendary singer Tony Bennett said, “If you walk out there like it’s just another night, the audience is going to treat you the same way.” Those are wise words from a man who has been entertaining and serving audiences for decades.

Daily Question: Are you treating this day as the gift it truly is?

Today’s episode is sponsored by the Book Marketing Mastery course. Use the code “DailyWriter” to get 10% off.

The post Today is a Gift appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single day is unique. It will never come around again. You only have this one shot, this one opportunity to live these twenty-four hours.

So you must treat today like the gift it truly is.

As a result, we have to treat our audience the same way. We have to show up every day, ready to write, ready to create, ready to serve. They deserve the best you can give.

The legendary singer Tony Bennett said, “If you walk out there like it’s just another night, the audience is going to treat you the same way.” Wise words from a man who has been entertaining and serving audiences for decades.

Question: Are you treating this day as the gift it truly is?

The post Today is a Gift appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

One day, the sand in your hourglass will run out. We have a limited amount of time on this earth. What will be left after you’re gone? Maybe some social media posts, mementos, people’s memories, and what you created. Those things can fade over time, but your words can be immortal.

We all have the same amount of time in life. Life is never going to be ideal, and things are not going to slow down. There is always going to be something happening. You write in the midst of an imperfect life, in the mess and the muck of what is happening all around you.

In the musical “Hamilton,” Eliza Hamilton asks her husband, “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?” The truth is that we’re all running out of time.

Question: Does knowing your life will come to an end someday motivate you to make the most of every day? Why or why not?

The post Like Sands Through the Hourglass appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

FRODO: I wish the Ring had never come to me… I wish none of this had happened.

GANDALF: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

What a great reminder for all of us… we must make good use of the time that is given to us by focusing on what we can control.

Question: How much time and energy do you spend on things you can control versus things you can’t?

The post Focus on This Instead appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Today’s episode is for all the night owls… as well as the early birds… and everyone in-between. Here’s writing habits practice #5:

Figure out your most productive time of day.

A lot of entrepreneurs and leaders will try to tell you that you must be a morning person in order to be effective. Hogwash. You have to lean into the way you are wired. You must do what works for you.

I encourage you to experiment with figuring out the best time of day for you to write.

I don’t believe that writing in the morning is the only way to go. Many people swear by this, but it really depends on your biology and schedule. Not everybody is a morning person. Many people come alive later in the day or even late at night.

That said, Ernest Hemingway wrote in the morning. He said this:

When I am working on a book or a story, I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there.

For you, it might be different. Many creative types like to work late at night. You have to do what works for you. So, here’s your pal, Professor Kent, giving you permission to go with the way you’re wired.

But it doesn’t mean you have to stay that way. You can always develop better habits. A lot of successful people keep an early morning routine, so that’s worth considering. But it doesn’t mean you have to be an early morning person to be a successful writer.

Question: What is your ideal time of day to write?

The post Writing Habits Practice #5: Figure Out Your Most Productive Time of Day appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Every single day is unique. It will never come around again. You only have this one shot, this one opportunity to live these twenty-four hours. So, you must treat today like the gift it truly is.

As a result, we have to treat our audience the same way. We have to show up every day, ready to write, ready to create, ready to serve. They deserve the best you can give.

The legendary singer Tony Bennett said, “If you walk out there like it’s just another night, the audience is going to treat you the same way.” Wise words from a man who has been entertaining and serving audiences for decades.

Daily Question: Are you treating this day as the gift it truly is?

The post It’s Never Just Another Day appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

If you’ve ever seen the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies Dr. Strange or Avengers: Infinity War, you’re familiar with an object called the “time stone.” The time stone is one of six infinity stones that control various aspects of existence. Whoever possesses the time stone can see visions of the future as well as stop time, or even rewind it.

It’s all fiction, of course . . . but what if you actually had a time stone? How would you use it?

If you could see a vision of the future, how will your writing have made a difference?

If you could stop time, what writing would you work on?

If you could rewind time and have a “do-over,” what would you do differently related to your writing?

The time stone isn’t real, but your writing is. You don’t need a magical time stone to have a powerful effect on the world. All you need is a desire to make a difference and the discipline to write.

The post What Would You Do with a Time Stone? appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

The most common complaint about writing is that it takes time. There is nothing that keeps people from writing more than the idea that they simply don’t have the time to write. That’s why so many writing resources—including this podcast—focus on helping people be more productive with their writing.

Everyone knows that we in the modern world are busy. It’s hard to squeeze in writing time. But maybe it’s good to stop and ask what has us so busy these days.

Is it too many obligations and commitments? Lots of movies, YouTube, and TV? Other hobbies or projects? Several small kids in the house or maybe a spouse or parent who requires lots of time and care? Maybe an extra job to help make ends meet?

Certainly, some of these are legitimate things that keep us busy. But not all of them. The vast majority of people have more control over their schedule than they realize.

Take a look at all the things that are keeping you busy—all the activities that take up your time each day and week. Are they really necessary? Are they contributing to your quality of life? Are they helping you reach your long-term goals as a writer?

If not, it’s probably time to re-evaluate how you are spending your time. So much of our lives are spent doing things others expect us to do. Maybe it’s time to stop focusing so much on what others want from you, and spend more time on the things YOU want.

The post Why Are You So Busy? appeared first on Daily Writer | Essential Habits for Impact & Influence.

We’ve talked about the urgency of today many times before on this podcast. Why? Because it’s so easy to lose sight of the present moment when so many things beg for our time and attention.

When you’re in the thick of life, when everyone and everything wants your attention, step back for a moment and remember one thing: you’ll only have this day once. It will never come around again.

When you wake up tomorrow morning, will you be glad you spent today like you are using it right now? Or will you wish you would have made a little time to write?

The world-renowned boxer Muhammad Ali said, “Don’t count the days, make the days count.” There is no such thing as a throwaway day. Every single one counts.

Daily Question: Are you happy with the way you are using your time today?

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