4 Ways to Improve Your Writing Habits from Atomic Habits
Atomic Habits is one of the best books I have read. And I have three bests):
I have generously given my time to this book, and after 11 chapters, James Clear has given me a better perspective on habits.
Habits are not easy to form or break. The internet is full of strategies and quick fixes to improve productivity by building better habits, but not all of these are practical or helpful.
James Clear presents practical situations and evidence-backed strategies. He digs into the psychology and philosophy of human beings.
The result is a masterpiece that when carefully put to practice, gives you an easier way to build better habits and break your unproductive habits.
The lessons from this book have helped me improve my productivity in various life aspects including writing, socializing, and fitness.
Since I cannot write all the lessons I have learned so far in one article, here’s the first part of the lessons I have learned from Atomic Habits and how they will help you improve your writing.
1. The power of Atomic Habits
1% progress on your drafts or reading is better than none.
If you are a part-time writer with a 9–5 job and kids to pick up from practice, minimum time to work on your writing may be frustrating.
The same applies if you are trying to learn something online or read some of your favorite authors but barely have the time.
If you are like me, there’s a chance you don’t like unfinished projects.
But what do you do if you never have enough time to start and finish a project in one sitting? You shouldn’t just give up with the excuse that you don’t have time.
Use the few minutes you can spare from your busy schedule to edit part of your draft or read one chapter.
If you use a few minutes every day to work on your writing, you will be a better writer in a month than you would have been if you used no time.
1% progress gets you closer to finishing that book than no progress.
2. Habit change through an identity change
Your habits influence your identity and vice versa.
If you think you are a writer, you will do everything it takes to defend that identity.
You will write consistently and put the effort required into producing quality content like a professional writer.
When I started writing, I was clueless. I started identifying myself as a freelance writer after a 6-day free email course by Elna Cain.
Since then, I have done everything I believe a writer does and I am content with my progress. I regularly publish, learn, promote my content on social media, and connect with other writers.
When you tell yourself you don’t have what it takes to be a writer, you have nothing to lose; no identity to defend.
Therefore, no effort will be made to improve your progress. You will remain stuck, doing the bare minimum, and making the most minor progress while fueling the belief you are not a writer.
3. Focus on a system to help you accomplish your objective
It is important to have goals. They give you a sense of direction instead of writing aimlessly.
After writing down your list of goals, write down the activities you need to do to accomplish that goal. Have a strategy.
Focusing on a strategy helps you improve your writing habits by focusing on your goals for two reasons.
If you are prone to anxiety, focusing on your goals, especially if you are unsure how to achieve them, can fuel your anxiety.
The second is you have a better chance of building or breaking a habit when you focus on a system rather than your goals.
If your goal is to gain 100 followers on Medium, you will be highly motivated to produce quality content frequently to achieve that goal.
Once the goal is achieved, you will want to relax and celebrate the achievement.
This might mean you won’t publish articles as often as you did, or you won’t put as much effort as you once did to publish quality articles. Now that doesn’t make you a very good writer.
With the same goal, if you focus on a system, you may build a strategy to publish an article daily or every other day on Medium.
When focusing on your goal, all you want to do is gain 100 followers. When focusing on a system, however, all you’ll want to do is publish an article every other day (your preference).
By repeating this, you will develop the habit of publishing every other day. Once the goal is achieved, your consistency as a writer will not be compromised.
4. Motivation is overrated.
Your environment is more influential on your habits than motivation.
Whether you are trying to break or make a habit, work on modeling your environment to your activities.
It is easy to concentrate on your writing in a clean space with no distractions.
Set up a desk or a working space away from potential distractions such as kids, family members, the kitchen, your phone, and the television. Keep it tidy.
It is easier to wait for motivation, but when you are constantly surrounded by things that distract your thoughts, that motivation may never come.
A clean space will help you align your thoughts, improve your concentration, and focus.
Happy writing!
