My Biggest Life Lesson from Writing
3 ways it impacts my life
Starting my newsletter has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. It’s allowed me to unleash a talent that adds purpose to my life. It’s also allowed me to connect with awesome writers from all around the world. But most of all, it has taught me great lessons for life. And today, I’ll be sharing with you the biggest lesson I’ve learned so far.
Consistency > everything else
It’s nothing groundbreaking. My biggest lesson has been that consistency is the most important thing as a writer, and in life. There is no secret, tool, or tactic that can get you the results you want without consistency. Trust me, I’ve looked for all the quick-fixes.
Thus, I’ll share with you 3 ways in which consistency (or the lack of) impacts my life. I’m sure at least one way will resonate with you.
1. It’s better to do a little each day than to do a lot every once in a while
“I’m feeling inspired today, I’ll write for 2 hours and take the next few days off” said the ignorant Seb. Not realizing I was doing myself a lot of harm. This sort of compensation mindset does NOT work. The best outcomes come from daily and consistent action.
Lifting weights for 30 minutes each day is better for your physique than doing a 3-hour workout once a week. Reading 10 pages a day helps you learn and remember more than reading a lot at once and then taking long breaks. Your writing will be best if you work on it a little every day, instead of trying to do a week's worth in one afternoon.
Yet, sometimes life gets on the way and there will be times in which we have less free time than normal. So, I’ve figured that what works for me is setting the bar low so that I can always go above it.
Want to develop an exercise habit? → Set a goal of 10 pushups a day
Want to develop a reading habit? → Set a goal to read 1 page per day
Want to develop a writing habit? → Set a goal of writing 1 sentence per day
For whatever habit you want to develop, set the bar as low as possible, to the point it would be stupid not to do it.
You’ll end up doing more than what you set, but still keep the bar low so you don’t ever lose the momentum.
2. Feeling stuck? Keep showing up.
We tend to quit a habit whenever things get hard. You’re not getting the progress you want at the gym, so you stop going. The book you’re reading is starting to get too complex, so you drop it. You don’t know where to start with an article, so you don’t start it.
The last scenario has happened to me a few times. I’ll take a few minute breaks to think things over. But then those few minutes turn into hours, which then turn into days of not writing at all. I go with my life as if ideas were to marinate in my head and be ready whenever I sit my ass down and finally decide to write. This has yet to be the case. What ends up happening is me rushing my writing. As a result, I'm not satisfied with it and have to push the release date or not publish at all.
So, from what I found is that the best way to get unstuck is to continue showing up. Feeling stuck with your gym progress? Keep showing up. You can meet a gym partner that helps you push past your limits or find a training plan that better fits your needs. A book or class is giving you a hard time? Keep showing up. The concepts will fall into place if you put in daily effort. Writer’s block? Keep showing up. The words will start to flow if you show up every day.
You don’t win the game by sitting on the bench, but by playing it.
3. Consistency leads to a better internal dialogue
When I’m inconsistent, I’ve noticed my internal dialogue becomes horrible. If I don't show up for myself, my confidence drops and I start to doubt my abilities and worth. If I stop hitting the gym or exercising for a few days, I start to think my physique sucks. If I stop writing every day, it starts to become a daunting task.
On the flip side, when I’m being consistent, everything feels possible. I become confident in my abilities and my capacity to get stuff done.
So instead of trying to get in the mood to do things, I now start regardless of it, and my mood will improve as a result.
If you want to fix your mindset, start by fixing your actions.
That’s all for this week’s newsletter. I hope you found this article at least to be a good reminder of how important it is to be consistent.
After delaying it to do more research, my series on Persuasion will kick off next week (if not earlier). Subscribe so you don’t miss it.
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Great read!🌿
We should continue doing voiceovers haha, it gives so much character. You always give great advice too, thanks for this piece!