I originally write this as part of the Ship 30 for 30 cohort that I joined several years ago. At the time, I was struggling with consistency. It seemed simple on the surface, to write an essay each day. The essay was short, after all, Yet, I still found myself struggling. I wrote this piece to inspire myself. I expanded it from the original.
I think this is the most difficult one that I’ve had to write. You see, I have been staring off not space for about thirty minutes, reluctant to face the blank page. Then it hit me. I need to keep going. But how? These are the realtime tricks that I used to get myself to write this piece:
Take Rapid Action
The longer I sit in front of may computer not writing, the worse it gets. I know I am in danger of actually skipping a day, and that will cause me to break my contract with myself. So, I counted backwards from five, out loud (thank you, Mel Robbins), and turned on my computer. Okay, this was step 1. I learned in that moment that the sooner I acted, the better off I’d be. It’s like ripping the bandage off quickly. It hurts for a second. It’s over before you know it.
Create a Plan of Action
Now that the computer is on, what do I write about? I need a plan. In this case, I know I need to create a topic. So, I decide to use my current situation for inspiration. I thought I would share my three part process for getting rid of my sluggishness and taking action, even when I’m reluctant. It helps to take a minute or two and sketch out a quick plan. What will I write? All I need is a title and 3-4 talking points. There, I just outlined the article. This can be applied to just about anything.
Set My Timer
Now that I actually have the document up and I’ve selected a topic, it’s time to write. Well, I am met with another barrier. My brain feels blank. I know that I need my timer, my favorite trick for inspiring action when I’m having a difficult time. I set it for thirty minutes. This is just what I needed to start writing. I would say that the timer trick is one of my favorite productivity hacks.
I have a lot of goals that require consistency. This always works to help me overcome my sluggishness. Once I get going, the hard part is over. It’s those first moments that are the most challenging.