“It seems to me that those songs that have been any good, I have nothing much to do with the writing of them. The words have just crawled down my sleeve and come out on the page.” – Joan Baez
When Becoming Minimalist first began, I had little writing experience. Other than school assignments, articles for a company newsletter, personal letters, and e-mails, I had little experience with the written word.
But as of today, I have written over 500 posts for this blog. I have become a regular contributor to one of the highest-rated organizing websites, Organizing Your Way. And I have written several books including Simplify (a #1 Best Selling book on Amazon).
One of the reasons for the success in writing is because I have become far more thoughtful and intentional about which habits benefit my life and which detract from it. I have learned to establish healthy life habits that improve my overall life and make the process of writing easier. This process has both made me a better writer and has made the discipline of writing more enjoyable.
These are the life habits that I incorporate to improve my writing:
• Waking Early.
I have found that my best writing happens early in the morning between 5-8 am. The house is quiet, my mind is slower, and the busyness of the day is yet to begin. As a result, the words flow with less effort. As a side note, I was not always an early riser. When I first began developing this habit, my trick was pretty simple: I would smile, put my feet on the floor, and look out the nearest window. It took some effort at first, but after a couple weeks, my sleeping habits had adjusted. And I would never go back to sleeping in late.
• Running.
I have written countless articles jogging along the side of the road in my neighborhood. Because I rarely run with music, running provides quietness and opportunity to think. The blood is flowing and my mind is free to wander. Some of my best ideas have come during the longest runs of my life. Interestingly enough, lifting weights rarely has the same effect… only running.
• Reading.
I prefer biographies. They challenge me and inspire me to make the most of my life. But it doesn’t matter if I’m reading fiction or non-fiction, books or magazines, something good or something bad, reading always produces better writing. Good writers are almost always good readers.
• Eating Protein for Breakfast.
While I am not a nutritionist, I did learn early in life that protein for breakfast makes me more productive. It gives me better memory, sharper thoughts, and longer concentration. As a result, I have eaten two eggs and one piece of toast at breakfast for as long as I can remember. The whole process (cooking, eating, cleaning) takes me approximately 15 minutes and always starts my day off right.
• Drinking Coffee.
There is a reason coffee is one of the highest consumed beverages in the world. While the stimulant of caffeine certainly helps coffee make an appearance on this list, it seems there is something that can’t be beat about just the whole experience of sipping a fine cup of coffee. It adds pleasure and richness to my day. And at the age of 36, it still makes me feel like a grown-up when I drink it.
• Finding Solitude.
There is a direct correlation between the intentionality in my life and the amount of time I spend in solitude. By electing to intentionally withdraw from human relationships for a period of time, I am able to reevaluate the assumptions, claims, and messages of our culture. Solitude provides opportunity to rediscover my life… and these new discoveries often find themselves into my writing. With that as the backdrop, there’s no wonder why Leo Babauta called it The No. 1 Habit of Highly Creative People.
• Changing my Environment.
Whether it be writing in a local coffee shop, at the library, in a bookstore, or outside in the summer, changing my environment almost always provides a fresh look at the words on the screen. The new environment encourages new connections and synopses in the brain that help stimulate the writing process.
• Attending a Religious Service.
I have always embraced spirituality. I have found that it inspires me to think beyond the physical aspects of our everyday life and search for deeper meaning in the world around us. Going to church causes me to intentionally think about issues of the heart and soul. And because of that, it almost always pushes me further in my writing.
• Using Pen/Paper.
While the actual words of posts/articles/interviews/books are always written on a keyboard, most of them are brainstormed and outlined on a piece of paper. I prefer one blank sheet of paper and one black pen. By the end of the outlining process, it is always marked with words, arrows, circles, numbers, and scribbles. But the marked up sheet of paper provides the perfect first step and foundation for putting the actual words on a finished product.
• Traveling.
Traveling provides opportunity to experience new people, places, languages, foods, and customs. It has allowed me to see life from a new angle and appreciate different aspects of it. I’ve had the privilege to experience a number of different countries and cultures over my short lifetime. Each of them have made me a better person… and a better writer.
• Setting Goals.
In all walks of life, goals move me and shape me. Whether it be running a marathon, finishing a book, or planning a party for 10,000 subscribers, goals always provide an added dose of motivation and momentum to my writing. When I have a desirable and achievable end goal in mind, my writing always benefits. And when I don’t, it suffers.
I have found the 11 Life Habits above to be the most helpful and instrumental in my writing process. As a matter of fact, when even one of them is lacking, I can sense it immediately in my personal creative process. But we are all different. No doubt your list will look different than mine in some regards.
Consider sharing below in the comment section which life habits improve your writing.
If you don’t have a list, I encourage you to find one. Start by implementing some of the habits above and give them a 2-3 week trial period. If they are not helping, that’s okay… just try something different (for example, I know a number of writers who write better late at night rather than first thing in the morning). The goal is to discover which life habits stir up the creative process in your life.
Because when you are writing at your best and sharing your life experience with the world, we all benefit.
Further Reading
Interested in writing online? Here’s a helpful guide on how to start your own blog.
Gip @ So Much More Life says
You’re right. Discipline is essential to prolific writing. I’m glad to see you take it so seriously.
I completely agree about quality protein early in the day — and about getting up early, although I don’t get up as early as I once did. Partipation in something spiritual is also essential to having a life that has something to say.
It’s iced tea for me instead of coffee, by the way. I’ve never grown up enough to like coffee.
Gip
Sara R. says
Two of my “must-haves” for writing are: listening to good music and getting outside.
Listening to music before and after writing really keeps me inspired, something about the lyrics and the instruments and the rhythm gets my brain in a place to create. And being outside always puts things in perspective–like solitude, it frees up that place that creativity comes from.
sara
Steve Rice says
Joshua,
I really resonated with “Finding Solitude.” I am an extrovert, but nothing grounds me and helps me hear the voice of intuition and inspiration more than solitude.
I also find a brisk walk and quiet reading to be invaluable. Sometimes, my challenge is in valuing those activities. Although, I know they are invaluable to me and my process, I sometimes struggle with maintaining them because I’m worried about what others will think when I answer “What did you do today?” with “I went for a walk, I read a good book, and a I thought.”
Not pretty, but honest.
Jo@simplybeingmum says
I’m glad you included coffee Joshua! caffeine gets bad press in my opinion. As with much of life it’s not the object, it’s the user that’s at fault if too much is consumed/used etc… If I could just crack the waking early!
Susan says
I am the same way with waking early, I have to get back in the habit of 5 AM as I know that sets my day better. Also – running I love to run without my iPod in order to think and let ideas come to me – I accomplish two things in one block of time! Also, couldn’t agree more with your take on coffee – being a Seatteite – well, I think it is just part of my blood! Enjoyed the post!
susan says
What a great list. I personally find walking, not running, good for my thoughts. And I find my best writing comes in the night. If I were still single and childless I would probably start writing at 9pm and go until I got too tired! Though, my eldest starts school next year, so maybe that will be the time for me to try (again) to train myself as a morning person.
I also love pen and paper. Most people think I’m mad, but when I was studying I would write out my entire essays on scrap paper, then transfer it to the computer and edit as I went. Thoughts just seem to come out better onto paper than onto a screen.
Diana says
What a wonderful list, thank you! For me it’s walking, not running. One thing I’m always curious about is rising early. I’m much better at this in summer than winter – the light mornings beckon me out of bed. However, I find I need to go to bed so early to sustain it, and that takes organisation. If you’re up at 5am, what time do you go to bed, and if it’s early, does that impinge on family time? Please share, I’d love to know! Thank you!
Rebecca at bestthingsinlondonarefree says
This was such a helpful post, thank you! A few of your habits are in my favourite book on writing – Dorothea Brande’s “Becoming A Writer” – I highly recommend it. My other life habits… Well, I find my writers’ group incredibly helpful – I read sections of my novel to them every week. Hearing other people’s work is inspiring, and their feedback always moves my work on, especially negative feedback. I’m so grateful for negative feedback these days. Before I joined the writers’ group I felt like this mad woman typing away in the attic (well, it’s a second floor apartment, but still…) and now I have that regular contact with people doing the same thing. Solitude is helpful to creativity but isolation is not.
E Montano says
If you like biographies I would recommend Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Weatherford. It is one of the most enlightening pieces of history I’ve ever read. Far from the marauding hordes they are generally characterized as, the Mongols practically created modern European and Asian cultures we know today. Khan, himself was a remarkable and inspiring individual unique in history. The Mongol influence has only recently come to light and should be more widely known.
Financial Independence says
I was to let to believe that coffee is the third in the worlds, after water and tea.
If you discount alcohol as the starter and exotic drinks, coffee is the last. More over, same as some fuzzy drinks it washes out calcium from your body :-)
Working closely with the people I do not believe in the biographies – most of the people do not write themselves, it is done by somebody else to charm the readers. Perhaps, it is pumps you up with motivation, but really it is far from the real life. But there is not alternatives, I have to agree with you.
I like to workwith the paper, but start finding it is counter productive, as you have transfer everything on the screen somehow. It is very romantic, but a wee bit waste of time.
Traveling does not belong to a minimalist’s blog ;-)
I am totally agree with you – that goals this is the corner stone of everything. You have to understand why are you doing it and desire the end result. Otherwise it is a no go.