Write Every Day: The Simple Habit That Rewired My Brain

Image generated with OpenAI by the author

  We write more than we realize.

  Whether it's texting, social media, or email, we are always writing something. Once you understand this, the friction that keeps you from writing longer-form content, such as articles or books, is reduced. From there, it's just a matter of practice.

  I started my writing routine last year.

  My goal was to enhance my writing skills and share my ideas effectively. Early in the process, I didn't write daily. My focus was to complete at least one article a week. It took me a couple of months and 40 articles before I started writing daily and having others critique them.

  The delay was due to fear.

  That's the first change that came; I pushed past that fear. The fear of others judging my writing, the fear of sharing my ideas, the fear that I wasn't cut out for it, the fear of rejection.

  This proved to me that I could be more open with the world to share my ideas, thoughts, and philosophies. I found that this change made me more vocal with my views in public.

  As an introvert, this has always been tough.

  Working through our fears is a common theme that we often encounter. It's what prevents us from taking action in all areas of life. The biggest fear we have is the fear of failure. That's why so many people sit and let life happen to them instead of taking control of their own lives. Failure is inevitable; take it, learn from it, and improve. Success comes from doing things despite fear.

  That's why it's important to defeat the fear of failure.

  As I received feedback on my writing, I would improve. I didn't notice how much I had improved until recently. While reviewing my list of "Ready to Post" articles, I came across one from a couple of months ago. As I read through it, I found the quality wasn't up to my standards. I moved it back to my drafts folder for a rewrite.

  That moment was profound.

  These improvements reflected more in my daily tasks. My text messages were clearer, social media posts stronger, and emails became more professional.

Feedback on your writing is the only way to truly improve. You will learn about how to be clearer, given potential flaws in your ideas, and ways to strengthen your arguments. Gaining the perspective of someone else puts you in a better view of how readers will read and interpret your content.

  The more you write, the more you learn.

  Writing forces you to research different subjects. I found this to be particularly true anytime I wanted to make sure I was providing accurate information or wanted supporting arguments. The need to add more data with my own experience improved my knowledge base. I could speak more intelligently about the subject matter I was writing about, which gave me opportunities to include sources and quotes.

  Even if your brain is packed full of random information, you will still need to research and learn more as you write.

  Improvements in these areas bring more good to your life.

  As you become more educated, your creativity gets boosted. You find that different ideas overlap, giving you more to write about. Problems you've come across suddenly have solutions. Goals and tasks that were out of reach become more viable and within your grasp.

  This is because you've leveled up your skill and your mind.

  The idea that I could have perfect strangers read my content and have it bring meaning to them seemed foreign. Today, several of my articles have comments and responses that proved that reality to me. Every writer strives to make an impact, and my daily writing routine made that happen.

  Not every article will achieve this, but even just one feels amazing.

  Discipline is one skill that comes with a daily writing routine. To do something regardless of whether you feel like it or not is why discipline is important. It goes beyond the feeling of inspiration or motivation. No writer will be "inspired" daily. That is why discipline is a skill built from writing daily.

  I struggled with staying consistent.

  Over the years, I would try to do some sort of writing routine or some other project, but I would fail. On and off again, all mostly based on my "feelings". Did I feel inspired? Did I feel good about what I was writing? These questions reflected whether I was going to keep going or not.

  Taking a new tactic changed all that.

  The discipline to write daily, regardless of how I felt, was what mattered. I didn't worry if what I was writing was good at that moment. It was about getting my thoughts onto paper, then I could spruce it up later.

  I call this "The Shitty First Draft Rule".

  Building discipline had to do with not worrying about perfection or feeling good about it. I needed this to be successful in keeping my daily writing routine. All writers have their crappy first draft. Accept it as a fact, and you will go further in your writing career.

  Discipline and consistency go beyond writing.

  I found that I'm now more disciplined in other areas of my life. My workout schedule is more consistent, along with my healthy eating habits. Projects have more planning and follow-through. This is just scratching the surface.

  Writing daily changed my life.

  Do it, and it will change yours.