Yesterday, I didn’t post on my blog. I had the time, I had a stable internet connection, and I even had plenty of ideas saved in my swipe file. Yet I still didn’t write anything. The simple reason is… I forgot.
I recently moved. In my new place, I have a bigger basement for my training equipment, which means I no longer need to go to the gym. I can simply work out at home. Since the move, I haven’t missed a single day of training. I think it’s because it’s so easy to walk down a few stairs and start exercising that it quickly became a routine.
That’s the same way I also approach writing.
Some people aim for a certain word count each week. Others write six days in a row and take Sunday off. Some crazy authors can sit down only when inspiration strikes, then not write again for days or even weeks. Whatever works for you is great — stick with it.
But for me, I have to write every day to make it a habit. If I miss a single day, it becomes harder to start again the next day. So if I want to make my life easier, I simply shouldn’t skip a day.
For blogging, I need to create a routine as well. Otherwise, I might forget to write — and once I miss a day, it becomes harder to begin the next post.
Before going to bed, I usually watch some sports. While watching a Super Bowl rerun, seeing the Mavs miss the playoffs, or witnessing my favorite soccer club, Borussia Dortmund, being beaten by Bayern Munich yet again, I can easily write one of my short 30-minute blog posts.
Once the routine is established, daily blogging should become effortless — just like everything else I do as part of my daily routine.
