The Power of Habit

You know, I am writing a book. Well, trying to, as much as I can. I have to say, it’s not easy but I really enjoy it. I set myself a goal of 1000 words a day, and at first I was able to do it consistently for about two weeks, and it was amazing. Then, some days I wrote a bit less, some days – a lot less, and some days – none at all. It took one night to break my rhythm, and since then I have been struggling to get back into it.

Which made me thinking, how do other authors do it? Now, what I am about to discuss is not necessarily specific to writing, so hear me out.

With many things, but especially with creative undertakings, we rely on motivation and inspiration. How can an artist paint, a musician compose and an author write when they don’t have any inspiration? Easy. Thanks to the power of habit.

A lot of times we sit and wait for the right moment. We postpone things till tomorrow, a Monday, a new year. But the truth is, when that day comes, it won’t be any easier to start than it is now. So, start where you are and don’t stop. You must keep going at whatever you do to make a habit out of it.

I only write when I am inspired. Fortunately I am inspired at 9 o’clock every morning.

William Faulkner

Now, forget all those promises about developing a habit in 21 days, that’s fake news. A new study shows that you need 66 days on average to really get into the routine of doing something. Seems daunting, but the 66 days would pass anyway, and it’s up to you whether at the end of it you would have developed your new habit or not. And once you do, you won’t even think about it twice, it will become your second nature.

Of course, it might feel unnatural to force yourself into doing something. Where is the fun in it? It’s no different from a chore. But remember why you are doing it, what wonders this new habit will bring. I may have not gotten into the habit of writing 1000 words a day yet, but I have a habit of being in a author’s mindset now. If I have not written anything, I at least read what I wrote the previous day and fix ugly sentences and random mistakes. If I don’t get time to do even that, I think about what to write next, what scene to describe, how the dialogue would go, etc.

Never skip a day. This will help you change your mindset to “I am committed”, and you can build on that. But also, don’t ever bite more than you can chew. If you set unrealistic goals, it will seem impossible to ever achieve them, so you might not even end up trying. Start small and grow from there.

The other day a friend told me about a weight loss programme by Brown Buttabean for people with extreme excess weight, where the first few weeks all he makes them do is go to the gym to watch a class. That’s right. They don’t exercise, they just watch. What’s the point of that? It gets them into the habit of leaving home and going to the gym. Just that. This is the first step. Once they are used to it, they start exercising, bit by bit. If they had to exercise on day one, it would freak them out, and hardly anyone would commit to it long term. This way though, they start with something inconsequential and slowly progress.

So, first of all, start. Start that habit today. And start small. And then keep at it. No excuses. You are doing it for yourself. Remember why you want it.

The beginning is half of every action.

Greek proverb