Writing First Thing in the Morning

Posted: 30 May 2012 12:13 PM PDT

So I’m sitting here. At my desk. In the morning. And I’m writing this post. Yesterday, I was writing in the morning too. And the day before. Is there someone forcing me to do this? No, I simply choose to work this way.

Why would you set your day to always write first thing in the morning?! Isn’t being a blogger all about freedom and being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want to?!

Well, bloggers are pretty free people, but being free doesn’t mean that you can’t set some of your activities to a fixed schedule. Especially if those activities simply make sense.

And it really does make sense for writing. Here’s why.

Benefits of writing in the morning and the power of habit

Let’s start with the latter – the power of habit.

Habit is probably the most powerful thing that drives us into doing anything. And I really mean it. Once something becomes our habit, it isn’t difficult any longer, requires very little effort, and gets done pretty quickly.

But if that doesn’t explain the situation enough, let’s tackle it from a different angle.

I’m sure you’ll admit that some bad habits are extremely difficult to fight. Sometimes it takes months or years, or even a lifetime (for some people). I’m sure that every smoker and late riser can relate to this…

That’s the true power of habit, no matter good or bad, once it is set, it stays with us for years.

So what’s the point of turning writing into a first-thing-in-the-morning habit?

First of all, as I said a minute ago, once writing becomes your habit, it will be a natural activity. One that doesn’t require any effort. One that isn’t scary in any way, or challenging in any way. Simply, a natural habit.

The second benefit is something that sits in our mind.

Everything sits in our mind

Even though our brain is an extremely complex thing, some of its characteristics are pretty predictable.

For instance, once our brain gets a grasp that one particular activity is being done every day, first thing in the morning, and it has been done for the past month or so, it will get used to that activity.

Our brain will simply be anticipating that activity, having all the required tools in place ready to be used, at the exact time when the activity usually happens.

This is something that can help us extremely. And I’m not exaggerating. Once your brain is used to you writing every day in the morning, it will prepare all your writing resources and skills to be in their top shape waiting for you.

This is something that can (and will) improve your writing significantly.

And it’s nothing new. People are using this trick all the time in many different fields.

Like, for example, professional boxing. Once the time and date of a fight is set, every training prior to the fight takes place at the same time. Why? So the body and the brain of the boxer can get used to it, and be ready when it’s time to get in the ring.

Many professional sportsmen use this trick, not only boxers. It simply works in most imaginable scenarios. Writing and blogging included.

But improving your results isn’t the only reason why you should at least give this a try. There are other benefits.

Fighting the early-day confusion and warming up

Mornings can be confusing … I’m sure you can relate.

You wake up and there’s so much stuff to do that you don’t know where to start. So you don’t start at all for a while and go to Facebook instead.

Sometimes we fall into such a trap, despite the fact we know that the only thing we have to do is START. No matter what it is exactly, the first step is always the most difficult, and once we’re going, we’re going.

Having a first-thing-in-the-morning activity can be of great help here. There’s no confusion any more. You know that no matter how much stuff you have to do, you always start your day by writing.

Another benefit. Writing is a great warm-up activity for your brain. It gets you ready for other things the day can bring.

And there’s also the most obvious benefit of them all… You simply start your day with a fresh and shiny article, ready to be published, sent as a guest post, sold, or whatever else you’re doing with your content.

How to set a habit of writing in the morning

First of all, you have to realize that the most difficult part is the initial phase. The first couple of times you try to write in the morning.

It may simply not feel natural, nor easy. And the results might not be that good … well, sorry, I’m just telling it like it is.

But remember, this is always the case when setting new habits. Like the habit of early rising, for example. Do you remember how difficult it was to get up early during the first week? Or do you remember how difficult it was not to smoke during the first month of your new cigarette-free lifestyle?

You simply need to get through this. Here’s what I advise you to do during the first week:

Start every day by writing a personal journal. Journal entries are very easy to write because they don’t require any knowledge, mindset, or prior information. You simply fire up a text editor and start writing on whatever topic you want. As little as 100-200 words is enough.
The actual writing. This is where you write the actual thing you want to write. And you don’t stop until you finish the whole piece.
Reward yourself and have a break. Have a small treat. Whatever makes sense.
Proceed with your other tasks for the day.

If you do these four steps long enough (for like a month maybe) then after a while they will become natural and won’t require any effort on your end. Also, you will be able to do them much more quickly.

I know this personally … because it’s 8:30AM where I’m sitting right now.

What is your opinion? Have you tried this trick yet? Also, feel free to share if you have any advice of your own that’s similarly counterintuitive.

About the author: Karol K. is a 20-something year old web 2.0 entrepreneur from Poland and a writer at ThemeFuse.com, where he shares various WordPress advice. Don’t forget to visit ThemeFuse to get your hands on some premium WordPress themes (warning: no boring stuff like everyone else offers).

Original Post: Writing First Thing in the Morning

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