Novel Ideas Creating habits

Make writing part of your everyday routine, urges Lynne Hackles

Ibegin my writing day by going to an online puzzle site. I drink my morning cuppa while I tackle a codeword followed by a crossword and finishing up with a word-search. Is this a habit I should stop? I tell myself it’s waking up my brain, setting me up for the morning ahead. Actually, it’s completely non-productive and a total waste of time but I’m not going to feel guilty about it because I enjoy it.

Some of you may remember that I advocate showing up. It’s the first thing you need to do in order to write, or in order to do anything. I show up every day to complete a range of exercises designed to help my back. These exercises have become a habit, just like cleaning my teeth, making the bed, getting dressed. We all have habits.

In James Clear’s inspiring best-selling book, Atomic Habits, he talks about building habits that last or adding a new habit to an existing one. ‘Pick a standard time and place to do it,’ he says. Without realising it, I’ve been doing this for years. After the puzzles, the exercises, breakfast – all not necessarily in that order but daily habits all the same – I show up at my desk to write at 10am every morning for six days a week. (You can read about the seventh day next month.)

Okay. It’s easy for me as I don’t have a ‘proper job’ but there are no excuses because even if you work full-time and have a family you can still decide on a time to fit in your writing, even if it’s only for five minutes. Five minutes often expand because once you make a start you want to carry on.

Fill in the gap –‘ I write at… every day’. Then, all you need to do is show up.