How To Build Your Writing Journey With a 9–5
Building your writing journey with a 9–5 in a sustainable manner
Concentration is a scarce resource in 2024.
The average human span has shrunk to 8 seconds. With so many gizmos around us, it’s hard to concentrate.
Moreover, the 9–5s have become much more than 8 hrs., stretching to even 12 hrs./day. People crave work-life balance, yet it is elusive for many.
And amidst all that, if you ask someone to build a personal brand then they’ll surely laugh you off. And trust me, even I used to believe the same. It’s practically impossible to do so.
Social media is littered with advice on how you need to go full throttle on your dreams and leave your primary source of income. It sounds fun and aspirational but then the advice is not rooted in pragmatism for many.
Dreams don’t pay your bills
This is not to debate whether going full-on is right or wrong but then it should be a personal choice and one should do it stress-free. Because writing comes from abundance. And the past 4 months are a testament that it can be done with a 9–5. It proved to me that it’s possible. It’s simple but not easy.
I have documented my journey of reaching 600+ followers in 4 months here. And I know I’m just getting started on this journey.
Here are 6 Do’s and Don’ts in which I’m able to write and live a life outside the blue screen effortlessly:
a) Compartmentalize your day
The more you make your schedule boring, the better. By boring I mean, you have to make it as predictable and replicable as possible.
Find your sweet spot. Send a calendar invite, block it out and put away the gizmos for focused writing. This not only applies to writing. It works for any habit you want to learn.
Here’s what my schedule looks like:
6:45 AM to 7:15 AM: Exercise
7:15 AM to 7:30 AM: Meditate
7:30 AM to 8:00: Hot coffee and Newspaper
8:00 AM to 8:00 PM: Travel + Work
8:00 PM to 10:00 PM: Dinner + Family Time
10:00 PM to 11:00 PM: Writing Time
I do this. Over and Over Again. Till the point, it has become second nature to me.
If you were looking for a thrill, then ride a roller coaster; Life is to be built in a boring and predictable way
b) Stack up your weekends
Weekdays are for consistency. Weekends are for powering through and putting in the extra shift.
Give yourselves 12 months to the craft. Believe me, your skillsets and life will change. No matter the results, your proficiency will skyrocket for sure.
Eke out the extra 2 hrs. on weekends and schedule your content for the week. Sacrificing on that party, outing, and get-together can be life-changing a few years down the line.
This is your way to build your side hustle securely and sustainably.
I reserve the creative aspect to happen on a weekend when I have more free time. And I execute those plans and do the repetitive work on weekdays when I’m crunched for time and have other things on my plate.
This balanced strategy has worked wonders for me and you can make your side hustle seem effortless for the most part.
c) Write what you know
Many people falter when they overcomplicate their ideation process. They want a foolproof end-to-end strategy that will be a sure-shot success. Sadly, if you are waiting for it, you need to keep waiting then.
The best is to write what you know. Write what you are passionate about. And write it in your tone. People are more appreciative than you think. They love a unique voice.
In the age of AI, the only thing that is not replicable is your own story. EG: You want to write about fitness.
Do not write about the general work regime. People can find it on Wikipedia. Write about your weight loss journey. Write about what was your regime and how you overcame those difficulties.
And give it your tone.
Writing personal experiences is beneficial because it is:
a) Unique
b) Easy
c) Replicable
Remember: Add value to your unique story. Else why would spend their 5 minutes on your post?
There are also some Strict Nos that you should avoid while writing on any platform.
a) Don’t plagiarize
While finding ways to reduce the effort required is great, plagiarism is a strict no. With so many sophisticated tools available, it’s easier to detect and to actually plagiarize content.
And an image once ruined is very difficult to be redeemed on digital media. It spreads like a wildfire in the community. You might even win, but at what cost? Where would be the real you?
Write less. Start with maybe 1 article/week. But let it be you. And do not. I repeat do not give in to the peer pressure that people make on social media.
b) Don’t use AI for content writing
Adding on to the first point, I think there are 2 schools of thought when it comes to digital writing: Ones who use it extensively and one who refrain from using it.
While I feel you can mix it up. For Content Ideation, if you want you can use AI for topics (I don’t, but it’s a personal choice). I would rather prefer reading other creators’ content which inspires me to build my version of it.
Remember: AI can assist but cannot replace humans in many aspects with writing being one.
c) Cross-posting without editing
Every platform has its own flavor.
X: Direct, Valuable, Informal toned content
Medium: Descriptive, Personal, Informal toned Content
LinkedIn: Valuable, Formal Content
Cross-posting without editing for tonalities and audience is like serving the same dish in different cuisines. It doesn’t work that way.
Imagine your subscriber who is on multiple platforms and reads the same post on multiple platforms. This shows that you haven’t put the effort into your audience.
Remember: Subscriber is King. And they value genuine efforts.
Hope this post gave you a glimpse into how you can build your writing journey with a 9–5 in a sustainable way.
The magic happens when you start believing in yourself and take 1 baby step at a time
I grew on X to 600+ followers in 4 months through relatable storytelling and have captured it here.
Do share your views on the do’s and don’ts while building your writing journey on the sides
Until next time, Ta-Da!
