Learn how to slay the writer’s block dragon, Hint, it’s not about more self-discipline

Got glue?

Glue. What is it good for? Okay, not really much to do with anything you might be thinking. Or you could think "Sticktoitiveness." ?Or . . . Persistence. Fortitude. Determination. All variations on the word Glue, sorta, if you think about it.

Relevance? Perhaps you can see where this is going. The evidence suggests we all have those times when there seems to be very little fuel in the tank. Our get up and go got up and went. And we're left spluttering along, running on fumes. Struggling to focus and stick with the task at hand. We’re speaking in the mental sense here rather than the physical of course.

Maintaining one simple thought front of mind for more than a minute at a stretch seems to require a Herculean effort.

The smallest distraction has you chasing squirrels. Anything and everything else out there is doing it's best to grab your attention, and mostly succeeding.

Meet Jack ???

And you look across the aisle and Jack there, he's laser focused, working like a demon and ripping through his task, or more accurately - tasks. He clearly has a full tank and is cruising with his after-burners on. How does he do that?! you wonder. The more important question however, is how can you do that? What's Jacks secret?

Here's the skinny on this issue; even the most focused among us (guys like Jack) at some point will have those moments. Those times when we feel adrift, like a boat without oars or a rudder. No oomph, no direction.

So, to continue with the analogy, we're all in the same boat on that score. Then how is it that some folk, (remember Jack?) - seem to keep cruising and stay on track even if they have moments like this?

Well, glad you asked. I read a fascinating little book recently, it has some great insights and advice that speak to this issue. The book is "The One Thing" by Gary Keller.

Gotta have more self-discipline . . . uuh, Nope.

So when you look at Jack, you're probably thinking "He's got great self discipline, I wish I had self discipline like Jack. Gary Keller tells us that the notion of self discipline, or lack thereof, is just a myth. We apparently have all the discipline we need, we just have to direct and manage it a little better.

What does that look like? It's all about developing habits, we simply need just enough discipline to develop the habit. This very exercise, the writing stuff, sometimes it seems so hard. That's when it seems like we just need to be more disciplined, force ourselves to buckle down and write. That's all we need right? Wrong, all we really need is enough discipline to turn up EVERY DAY and do some writing. Develop the habit, work that writing muscle. Think of it as a workout session to build a nice big, bulging writing muscle.

This habit thing is not an unknown phenomenon. It is a well tested and well known fact. Do something repeatedly for long enough and it becomes a habit. It's all about ?" . . . regularly working at something until it regularly works for you." Gary Keller again.

It’s all about the habit

How long does all this take? Modern science doesn't back up the old idea that it takes 21 days to establish a new habit. According to all the smart folk who study this sort of stuff, it's around 66 days. It varies from person to person of course, but the average is 66. At that point, the amount of effort required to keep doing whatever it is – in this case, writing – drops off quite considerably, levels off and remains about the same going forward.

“But wait, there’s more!” You learn from Gary Keller’s book about an added benefit that has been observed for people who have established habits like this. Australian researchers Meg Oaten and Ken Cheng discovered something like a halo effect in relation to the creation of habits.

Benefits associated with acquiring one positive habit can include less stress; less impulsive spending; better dietary habits; decreased alcohol, tobacco and caffeine consumption; fewer hours watching TV; and even fewer dirty dishes, I mean, how can you argue with fewer dirty dishes?

And we all thought ol' Jack there was drinking rocket fuel. Pft! Me thinks Jack has discovered the secret to establishing some pretty useful habits. As a result, he has been reaping the associated rewards while we all sit around scratching our heads and feeling like we got run over by a bus.

Gary’s book covers a lot of other fun stuff too. However, this particular gem spoke to my own struggles with the empty page and the perception of a lack of discipline.

Summing it up

So what to do? There's a clue in the title of the book – The ONE Thing. Identifying that one thing that will do the most to move the needle now, that’s how it all starts. From there, well, it's all about the habits. What one habit do you need to develop to knock that first One Thing out the park? Do that One Thing until it’s a habit. Then do the next One Thing.

So go now, get after it!

If you’d like to learn more about my writing, (When I don't have writers block! ??) you can contact me at [email protected] or connect with me here on LinkedIn

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?About Bobby Duncan: I’m a full-time freelance copywriter in the Outdoor Recreation space. Originally from Zimbabwe, I now live near Portland, Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. Besides writing, I also enjoy reading and a wide range of outdoor activities. If you need a copywriter with a professional understanding of the industries writing needs, and a keen interest in all things outdoors to help with your writing challenges, I’d love to hear from you.