How 7 Small Habits Made Me a Better Writer (With 1M+ Impressions)
Creating content alongside a 9–5 job
Let’s be honest. I used to think 9–5 was tough. You wake up, get ready while eating a half-burnt toast, and do your job the rest of the day only to have your energy drained.
That was me too. Until I realized that it’s the mindset that matters — not the work. In fact, I like the work I do and the people I work with. I was so consumed with the idea of ‘escaping 9–5’ and ‘quitting the rat race’ that I started building up negative thoughts.
You don’t need to quit your job in order to build something for yourself — you can do it with security. You need a change in mindset. Most people will say otherwise adding comments like “You’re doing things half-heartedly” or “You’re not giving entrepreneurship the time it deserves”.
Most of us don’t have that leisure. It is safe to have your 9–5 and build something in the time you get. You have the mental security of making an income while also the emotional positivity of working on something for yourself. You need to remember that:
- It is going to be tough. You’re tired after work so you’ll need to take extra time and energy to start your venture
- You’ll have to spend time on skill development. Read books. Eat healthy. Listen to podcasts. Watch YouTube videos. Anything that helps you learn
- Be the hero of your own life. Figure out what you like the most and start building on that.
Remember, passive ventures are fun only when you’re having fun building them
Now that we’ve built confidence and laid down the foundation, let’s get to the habits.
It was tough for me to build a system that did not drain me so I began making small changes in my routine and lifestyle. Here is the routine that stuck with me the most
Daily Writing Ritual
Cultivate a daily writing habit, even if it’s just for a short period. I stole this from Stephen King’s “On Writing A Memoir of the Craft”. Every day, no matter what, he sat down and wrote.
I set a time for 45 minutes and started writing as the clock struck. The idea was not to be a masterpiece but to simply write. Most of the time the words won’t even make sense.
Reverse Engineering
Start with the end in mind. As crazy as that sounds, it has helped me with writer’s block. Craft your last line first to guide your narrative journey with purpose.
With the climax in mind, you know how to draft your content and write quickly.
Read More
You’re given a bottle to drink water from. You drink each day without refilling it. One day the bottle is going to be empty.
That’s the same with knowledge. While you are pouring it on the paper, you need to educate yourself and be curious. It is imperative to take time and read. No amount of knowledge is enough.
Storytelling Mastery: Embrace storytelling techniques in your writing to connect with readers on a deeper level.
Creating a designated space for work
While working from home I started working from my bed. I ate there, slept there, and worked there. Those were the days I felt most unproductive.
You need to have a designated place for each task. Have a place where you go to sit and relax, have a study desk to work, and keep your bed for sleeping.
When you keep this up, you’ll notice that you rest better on your sofa and work better on your desk.
Keeping a Journal
You’re thinking “What, more writing?”
But hear me out, keeping a journal is the best way to retrospect your work and keep track of your progress. You won’t remember what you did a year ago but you can keep track of all these developments
Batch Creating Content
With a 9–5, you ought to create a system for yourself — where you time your rest and work. Since weekdays are usually tougher to manage — I write my social media content on the weekends.
It’s called ‘Batch Creating’. I write posts and create visuals for the entire week on the weekends.
When doing this, my weekdays are usually stress-free leaving me more time for self-education and networking.
Learning to say ‘No’
When you’re focusing on yourself, it goes without saying that your social life won’t be at best. You’re going to miss out on parties and random movie nights. But that’s a small price you’ll pay for the coming years of financial freedom
I learned how to say ‘No’ to the plans that I didn’t want to go to and the things I didn’t want to do. People thought I was being hard to reach but my friends who understood supported me too.
What next?
These habits did not make me a millionaire but they helped me build a personality of a person who is focused and result-oriented.
I was able to network with people outside of work, create content, and have an impact. I started my journey 8 months ago, and that consistency is finally paying off.
So this is a reminder to you too. Keep at it. A tree does not fruit overnight, it requires effort!
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