Three Important Concepts I’m Applying to My Writing and My Life
That will help me really level up in the next 12 months
Today we’re discussing three simple concepts to keep in mind if - like me - you’re striving to improve both your writing and your life.
Anything above zero compounds
I read this sentence in Sahil Bloom’s Curiosity Chronicle, and now it’s inscribed on my brain. We all know that small actions taken daily can add up, that a little progress is better than none, that even a baby step is better than standing still. But I just love the conciseness of this phrase.
Compound interest is something I’m very familiar with. Compound actions are similar. It all adds up. Two hundred words a day. Three work outs a week. One big picture planning session a month. They’ll all see you somewhere totally different this time next year.
Focus on systems
When you have a system things get done. A goal is just words, but a system is a set of actions you take - in a specific way and at a specific time - to achieve that goal. I’m putting systems in place for:
Writing
Publishing
Connecting with my online communities
Working out
Meal prepping
Relaxing
Yep, even relaxing can get forgotten if there’s no system, and it’s vital to replenishing your mind and body. Don’t leave life to chance.
Plan, then do
I’ve often been guilty of spending too long in the planning phase. Planning is good, but doing is better. Doing is where you find the flaws in the plan and get to adjust it so it works better in practice.
So do a little planning, then get started, and learn as you go. I didn’t feel ready to publish my ebook, launch my first Success Kit, or send out the first Change The World With Words newsletter.
Now I’ve sold thousands of copies of the ebook, and hundreds of success kits, and amassed more than a thousand subscribers to the newsletter. The book is in its 6th edition, the success kits have had multiple new products added and tweaks applied, and the newsletter has improved as I’ve gone along too.
Sometimes it’s okay to plan out the first step, take it, then plan out the next one. You can’t course correct until you’re actually moving.
I was watching a video from FiftySister this week, where she talked about how little she had in the way of a plan when she started out online, and how happy she was to get her first 10 followers. She now has over a million across all her channels – and a book deal.
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” — E.L. Doctorow
Let’s all just focus on the bit of road in front of us today.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
11 exciting 90-day challenges for daily writers by
A Letter to the Inner Critic by
The Five-Fold Daily Action Plan For Self-Published Authors by
What else I’ve been up to this week
Reading: The Philosopher L. A. Paul Wants Us to Think About Our Selves by Alice Gregory
Getting more consistent with: Daily steps, home workouts, and making teeny tiny improvements
Watching: Season 7 of Veep (never seen this series before - no spoilers please)
This week’s Medium post
Friend link, as always, so you can read for free if you’re not a member - and this week it’s a quick and easy two-minute read.
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Thanks for the mention, Karen!