If you have fun writing something, the reader will have fun reading it. You’ve given your work the right energy.
Building on this observation, Cassidy Williams notes that sometimes she wants her work to be strategic, or clear and thorough. She writes, “I think a lot of that overthinking and ‘being in my head’ about stuff stops me from doing a whole lot more.”
Overthinking is a topic that has been on my mind for years—though more lately. So is just doing stuff. (I kinda wrote a book about it!) And Cassidy’s point made me think:
I actually very rarely think about outcomes at this blog. That is very intentional.
This is not the first time I have tried to write every day. In my prior attempts, I kept directing myself to just write, and I failed. In those experiences, writing became a chore (and such a bore). I would get lost in trying to sound smart, writing something good enough for a critical reader, or considering how to prioritize and be more strategic.
On top of that, my expectations of results—like going viral, getting a book deal, making money—created a lot of pressure for me. I would inevitably need more time to think, I would fall into the trance of hesitation—and stop.
I have now published a new blog post every day for over three years (!). What I did differently this time was shift my focus away from writing something good every day, and instead towards creating conditions for me to write every day—and allowing good work to emerge naturally.
Here are the conditions that work well for me:
Write and publish at my blog every day: I might republish some of the posts on social media, or at other platforms, or even in publications. All of the posts start here though. (I fall behind schedule some days—even weeks, when I’m travelling!—so I forgive myself and I look for openings to catch up.) I get creative energy from publishing, so I do that at least once a day.
Make it the best part of the day: I write about whatever caught my interest for the day, or whatever I’ve noticed or learned. I don’t need to force myself to write a blog post. I actually am drawn to the opportunity to do it. I love blending my interests as well. If you’ve wanted to see cloud repatriation and Ginuwine mentioned in the same article, check this one out. My motivation for writing at this point is very intrinsic. I just want to keep writing and I want to not quit. Good things will happen—I won’t pretend I know what, and I won’t chase them directly.
Write five original sentences: I make the creative operation very simple: just five original sentences. While many posts end up longer than that, they each really do start off as five original sentences. Similarly, on the rare occasion that I experience high expectations for a post, I can also let go of overthinking. Yesterday I saw an interesting idea, made a frenzied outline, and did 30 minutes of research, before I realized I had too much material to write in one day. I was going to give up—and then I just decided to write five sentences about it. I got started, and then the rest of the post came out (it ended up taking an hour and a half).
These three conditions—constraints that I have intentionally created—set me up to just do stuff every day. There are other less important, secondary, conditions too, like letting people know I wrote about them, or sharing these blog posts to find readers. I let go of these secondary conditions if I find myself close to falling behind on writing, and I focus on the main three I wrote about.
Now that I know how this weird method works, I can also apply it to just doing other stuff too. For example, I started a podcast with my friend Hamza. Very few people know about it—and I haven’t had bandwidth to promote it as much as I’d like yet—but at least it’s out there. In earlier years, I would have given up after an episode or two.
When you want to just do stuff, try setting your intention on creating the conditions for you to let go of control. You want to think less. This indirect approach will put your mind in the right space.
The three conditions that work for me may not work for you, so it’s always worth modifying or trying something new.