Do you hate life hacks?

“Drink green tea at 103 degrees.”

“Wake up at 5:13 a.m. every day and meditate for 17 minutes.”

“Take a cold shower to stimulate your nervous system.”

Perhaps the “optimal life style hacking,” phenomenon has gotten a bit out of hand, but I found a true “life hack,” that’s made my life ten times better—writing.

Here are a few reasons why.

Writing Helps Me Figure Out Who I Am

When I write, I feel at home. I can just be myself—say what I want to say and hit publish.

For me, it’s easier to share my feelings with a bunch of people I don’t know instead of one person I’m close to. Writing gives me the emotional release I can’t get from my in person interactions.

When I have issues with my life, I write. When I’m pissed off, happy, or sad, I write. It doesn’t always “cure,” what I’m dealing with, but, it helps me sort things out in a way thinking alone can’t.

Every time I sit down and type, I learn something about myself.

I’ve learned I can persevere, given the right goal.

I’ve learned success comes while you’re having fun, and not to get too caught up in “the grind.”

I’ve learned most people have the same issues as I do—doubt, insecurity, and the like. I’m not special as an individual, but we’re all special as the human race, simply because we navigate through a complicated existence.

If you feel lost, try writing about your experiences. It doesn’t have to be for the public, you can keep it in a journal.

I guarantee your eyes will be opened and you’ll learn something new.

Writing Gives Me Empathy

I can be selfish. I treat people poorly at times. If you’re close to me, you can still feel far away from me.

I get preoccupied with my own wants and needs.

When I write, I get to connect with you. I do my best to write at the intersection—what I want to talk about and what you want to hear.

When I write something you find useful, I feel better about myself. We both gain something from the experience.

When you take time to pen through your own struggles, you can’t help but realize other people must feel the same way.

Writing Makes Me More Productive

I’ve quit most everything in my life. I quit the pyramid scheme business I involved myself in. I quit college halfway through before going back. My past is riddled with empty promises I’ve made to myself.

I’ve always had a hard time finding motivation in my life, but writing motivates me. Writing will motivate me for the rest of my life.

Writing helps me wake up at 6 a.m. to get my day started. I want to wake up. I’ve never had something in my life worth getting up for, now I do.

I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words so far. My writing has become a practice—a habit I can use to build discipline in other areas of my life.

I have to rest well if I want to wake up in the morning to write. I have to be mindful of my time and spend less of it on meaningless activities like watching T.V. (not knocking T.V. but it is meaningless).

If my health suffers, my writing suffers.

I’m keeping other areas of my life in check because I want to be successful with my writing.

Habits work in mysterious ways. If you develop one good habit, it spills over into other areas of your life without a conscious effort.

If you have the itch to write, or if you’ve already started, develop a practice around your writing and watch other areas of your life become more productive.

Writing Opens Doors For Me

Writing leads to new opportunities. I have no idea where writing will take me, and that excites me. I didn’t start writing to make a living, but now I do make an income from it.

I’ve met interesting and influential people.

I’ve had people reach out to me for help. There are people out there who look to me as a source of wisdom, and I do my best to honor their view of me and help as much as I can.

Opportunities have come to me. The online writing space allows for serendipity. I never know what’s going to happen after I hit publish.

When you write often, you open doors to the adjacent possible — the labyrinth of new opportunities you’re exposed to when you’re courageous enough to share yourself with the world.

I want to stress this idea to new writers. If you feel like nothing will come of your writing, I guarantee you’re wrong. If you keep writing and publishing your words for the world to see, good things will happen.

Maybe not right away, maybe not when you want them to, but a consistent effort leads to explosive growth in your skills and the possibilities for your future.

Step through the door. Take the post you have in drafts and finish it (like I did with this one!). Put your words out there, because we need them.

What Can Writing Do For You?

You’ll never know until you try.

Join the community and you’ll get a guide on writing your first book, a guide on building your writing habits, and a guide on writing words people want to read. These guides will give you the head start you need for building a writing career you love.

What do you think writing often could do for your life?

Let me know in the comments.

Being a full time writer is one of those careers that’s way harder to pull of than it looks.

In the old days, you had to be lucky to succeed. Some writers would go decades before getting published. Even in today’s landscape, where anyone can publish anything at any time, you still face an uphill battle.

Two million blog posts are published per day. Everybody’s chasing their dream of being a writer and trying to make a quick buck from their blog. Competition is stiff.

How do you come out on top?

You have a dream of becoming a pro writer. It’s lofty. Can you do it?

Of course you can.

You can also get a six pack, make a million dollars, or run a marathon. But will you?

I’m tired of online writers trying to make what they do sound easy. It’s nowhere near easy.

In order to become the writer you’re meant to be, it’s going to require the type of mindset most people won’t develop. If you do develop this mindset, however, success is just a matter of time.

How to Dominate Your Field and Scorch Your Competition

I just finished reading the book Relentless by Tim Grover. He was the personal trainer for top athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade.

In the book, he talks about the relentless attitude these athletes had that made them all time greats.

They never wavered from their goals.

They were singular in their pursuit, and they put an inordinate level of practice and effort into their training.

Their preparation made them so confident in their skills they didn’t worry about their competition. Their competition had to worry about them.

I drew many lessons from the book that tie in with writing. It takes a relentless attitude to put in the word count you need to catch your “big break.”

Take a page out of these athletes’ books and use their techniques to become a relentless writer who never quits.

Don’t Think

Writers are neurotic creatures. We think, obsess, and stress over the details of our writing.

Does this opening sound right?

Should I replace this sentence?

Will anybody even like this?

All the time we spend thinking takes away from the time we can spend writing. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t think or plan at all, but eventually you’re going to have to sit down, face the keyboard, and do what you know how to do.

You don’t get “talkers block.”

When someone asks you about something you’re passionate about or knowledgeable in, they can’t get you to shut up.

Why, then, do you freeze and over think things when it comes to your writing?

The great athletes realize practice only takes you so far. At a certain point, their instincts kick in and they don’t have to “think,” because their body knows what to do.

Practice your writing, but practice with the goal of being able to “let it rip,” and knock out 1,000 words with ease. If you practice with intent, you’ll get there.

Hold Yourself to Higher Standards

I’m not one of those “thou shalt always hustle 24/7,” types, but I know if you don’t put in a significant amount of work, you’ll fail as a writer.

Take the amount of practice you think you need to succeed and multiply it by 10.

How can you expect amazing results without an amazing effort?

The world doesn’t owe you anything. You have to earn attention. It doesn’t matter what you think about your work and progress. You’ll reach the level of success you think you deserve once you put in the work.

It amazes me how I sometimes feel entitled to success after only putting in so much effort.

I’ve only been writing for eighteen months.

Some writers say building a popular blog takes 4 to 6 years.

Some say you need to write a million words before you write something worth publishing.

I’m down.

Are you?

If you published a few blog posts and they didn’t get traction, don’t get a tummy ache, whine, and quit. You have at least 1,000 more blog posts in you.

If you’ve been writing for less than 24 months, you have zero right to complain about your lack of progress.

It’s the truth.

You don’t have to put in the work. By all means, put in a low amount of effort and complain if you like, it’s your right to do so.

But, nothing worthwhile comes easily.

Time weeds out the people who aren’t serious. The people you see at the top are nothing more than the ones left over after everyone else quits.

Apply Your Knowledge

All the athletes mentioned in Grover’s book had one thing in common — they practiced to incorporate what they learned into actual games.

They applied their knowledge.

You’ve read dozens, hundreds, maybe thousands of blog posts on writing tips and ways to grow your readership, right?

How many times have you acted on any of the advice? Be honest.

I used to run on the “blogging advice treadmill,” without taking action until I finally said enough.

I recently read a blog post about reaching out to people individually to promote your work:

How I got 103 Shares and 43 Comments When I Had Zero Traffic and No Email List

I followed the strategy in the post to the letter.

I reached out to 100 people, individually, to promote my writing, and most of them responded and read my work.

I followed through with someone’s advice and it paid off. Now, I use the same outreach strategy over and over with each new post.

Does it take time? Yes. But it works.

The next time you read a blog post or take an online course — do what they told you to do without questioning it.

If you took all the advice available online and followed through with it, you’d be amazed at the results.

Stop Comparing Yourself to Other Writers

Don’t lie.

You compare yourself to other writers.

You spend your precious time reading their blog posts and coveting their success.

When you put blinders on and focus solely on your craft, amazing things to start to happen. Your confidence skyrockets.

You tell yourself, “I can do this.”

A successful writing career used to be a dream, but now you believe it’s possible.

You become Michael Jordan during his first few seasons.

Sure, some stars own the league, for now.

They have no idea you’re about to unleash absolute mayhem on every team you face and become an unstoppable force of nature.

You’re taking over.

You look up to these writers, but they’re just people, and nothing’s in your way of reaching their level.

In fact, they’re going to have to get on your level.

You have everything you need to master the craft and take the online writing world by storm.

It’s yours to take.

Take it.

Stop Treating Your Work Like a Hobby

You don’t think about going to work, you just go. You need food and shelter, therefore, you commit to working for money.

Do you treat writing like your job?

If you don’t take yourself seriously, no one else will.

Growth takes time. When I started writing, I didn’t have a big dream of becoming a pro. After a while, I realized I wanted a full time writing career.

I face the page, even when I don’t feel like it, because I have to.

Until you shift in your mindset from being a hobbyist to being a pro, your work will be nothing more than “okay.”

I’m not delusional enough to believe I’m a master, but I’m committed to becoming one.

A word spinning warrior hides underneath every insecure, wishy-washy, and inconsistent writer.

We’re all capable of reaching mastery, but few of us will, because the majority of us never commit.

I don’t know when you’ll make the switch, but once you do, nobody will be able to stop you.

Become relentless. Write every goddamned day until you get the results you want. Become so good you’re impossible to ignore. Never quit.

You can do it.

Will you?

Does content marketing lead sincere writers in the wrong direction?

I love writing. I started writing for nothing more than the joy of putting words together. Once I figured out I wanted to make a living writing, I learned about content marketing techniques to help promote my writing.

The techniques helped, but at times it felt like they led me astray. When I get caught up in learning “hacks,” I lose focus and my writing suffers.

You have to market your writing to succeed, but consider where the content marketing road is leading you.

Do you want to write, or do you just want to “create content?”

I listened to a podcast with brain pickings founder Maria Poppova. She said something that hit me like a ton of bricks, and made me re think the way I approach my writing career.

She said, “If Kurt Vonnegut were alive today and writing online, he wouldn’t refer to his writing as content.”

I want to create meaningful work and leave a legacy. I want to become a successful writer by sharing what I want to share.

If you’re an aspiring writer, I’m guessing you want the same.

Be careful. Use content marketing to your advantage, but don’t let it use you. Don’t lose your voice and end up sounding like everyone else.

What Are You Being Sold?

You love words. You love to write.

You read blog posts about making a living with your writing and it excites you. You picture yourself writing from your couch in your pajamas and watching the money roll in.

According to the experts, you just need to “create content,” you know readers will love and you’ll get the attention, respect, and money you desire.

Writers have never had as much opportunity for success as we do right now. You can put your work online and use it to build a platform that will make you money.

An established writer platform can lead to freelance work, a book deal,  (successful) self-publishing, and the opportunity to create product around your writing.

You can build your platform and cash in, but it’s up to you to figure out which route you want to take.

You can combine marketing skills with stellar writing, or you can play copy-cat and write the same way everyone else does.

Here’s the kicker — both can lead to money, fame, and freedom.

You can start from scratch right now, pick a popular topic, build a platform, and profit from it. You can create cookie cutter, paint by numbers content, and become wildly successful.

I see writing like this every day.

But you can do better than cookie cutter.

Wouldn’t you rather succeed by being yourself as opposed to having to write stuff you don’t care about?

In the long run, I think you’ll be happier create work that means something to you. And your readers will love you for it.

Readers are smarter than you think…

I’ve written posts instructing writers to “keep sentences short,” “break up text with subheadings,”  and “use simple direct language.” These are good tips, but at the same time we should remember, our readers aren’t dumb.

Your work doesn’t have to hit the lowest common denominator of intelligence to succeed. You don’t have to appeal to everyone. If you want to write long form, write long form. If you want to keep it short and sweet, write pithy and punchy — I like writing this way, but I don’t do it because I think my readers are dumb.

I’ve read so many posts saying readers are “lazy scanners.” Hell, I’ve even written something along those lines myself. But when I think about it, I read anything I find interesting, regardless of its length.

Some ideas can’t be expressed in five to ten bullet points. People will read a 4,000 word long essays if it’s well written, engaging, and cover an interesting topic.

Some of the favorite stories I read online go in depth, provide detail, tell stories, break all conventional “content rules,” and dare me to concentrate for fifteen minutes to read them.

We’re doing our readers a disservice if we don’t give them our full selves — the ones with problems, insecurities, and interesting stories to tell.

Many people don’t want to read any more “10 Tips for Being Awesome,” posts.

They want you. 

They want your truth, your blood. Can you tell them something they can’t read anywhere else?

Your writing needs to appeal to other people. You should stay in tune with the needs of the people who read your work, but you don’t have to make assumptions about them based on made up blogging and content marketing rules. Those rules are guidelines, not the law.

Learn content marketing rules — they’re important, but break them when you see fit.

The Hidden Benefit of Saturated Markets

Online writers race to their blogs to get in on the “gold rush.”  They’re pushing out content (yuck) and looking to turn a quick buck.

People are fed up.

They’re tired of people who’ve been blogging for 5 minutes trying to sell them the Ultimate Blogging Course for $1997 which contains nothing more than regurgitated content from the “influencers,” they follow.

The echo chamber will burst, and only the sincere, patient, diligent writers will be left standing.

I’m seduced by the thought of easy money, too, but unfortunately I’ve developed a conscience. I plan on writing for the rest of my life, so I have plenty of time to create something of value — something that actually helps people.

If you’re able to weather the storm, build actual expertise, and sharpen your skills, you’ll succeed as a writer.

The sea of average writers creates the perfect opportunity for you to do work that matters. While everyone else keeps cranking out the same lame “10 tips for content marketing success!” posts, you’ll stand out because you’ve decided to take the difficult route of actually having something interesting to contribute to the conversation — something that might not work, that isn’t an “mad lib,” fill in the blank, me too, ten point, indistinguishable, piece of content.

Can you play the long game? Can you delay your gratification?

The tortoise won the race. The “me too,” bloggers are the hare. They’re publishing at a ridiculous clip, and they will burn out.

Most blogs die out in a few months. It’s hard to keep writing about something you’re not interested in just because a marketing guru told you to.

Be patient, young padawan, and keep writing your little heart out. In time, the universe will catch up to your effort.

How to Find the Sweet Spot Between Marketing and Art

You still want to make a living, right?

You have to market your work to do that.

Content marketing works, but it doesn’t have to be “strictly business.” If you blend marketing with art, you stand the chance of becoming the revered writer you dream of being.

So how do you become remarkable? What’s the secret?

The secret doesn’t exist. You can’t follow a blueprint for being remarkable.

All you can do is be yourself. Content marketing exists to provide guidance for your career. You need to get yourself noticed online to succeed as a writer in 2016, there’s no doubt about it, but no one can tell you exactly what you should do.

You’re looking for the road map with no detours. I know this because I used to to look for the same road map.

What’s the perfect blogging niche? 

Where can I find the perfect “tribe,” who will devour everything I write?

What’s the best trick I can pull to get people to read my work? 

You’re never going to find foolproof answers. Just write. Write about the things you notice in your space. Tell us your story. Tell us why you’re writing what you write. Say what you want to say, not what the gurus tell you to say.

You’re already remarkable. You’d see that if you started to become more of yourself instead of trying to be someone else.

If you want to be a writer, try being a writer who markets their work, instead of a marketer who writes as a means to an end.

Use content marketing, but don’t drink the content marketing kool-aid.

Write your truth. We’ll accept you just as you are.

And hey, if you think I’m full of it, don’t listen to me!

That’s the whole point of the post. The best writers are the ones who dare to think for themselves.

Did you know there’s a website called Medium.com you can use to make a full-time living writing, no strings attached? Get exclusive access to your free five-day email course on monetizing Medium.

Does it feel like nobody seems interested in your writing, even though you write often? A lot of people hear about opportunities like writing & blogging on Medium that can help you make money, only to hear crickets when they hit publish.

Maybe you’re making the same mistake I used to make.

I spend a lot of time in forums and groups for writers. I want to know what makes them tick. I want to learn about their struggles so I can help them. I want to explore the landscape.

I’ll come across a struggling writer. They wonder why nobody’s reading their blog. They’re frustrated because they’re doing the work — writing, and writing a lot.

But something’s missing.

9.9 times out of 10 these writers are making the same mistake. If you’re struggling to find readers, you might be making it too.

Here it is:

Your blog is not your personal journal.

If you want to document your personal life online, that’s fine, but don’t expect it to resonate with other people.

Yes, you need to tell stories. Yes, you need to share your personality. But if you make it all about you, nobody will care.

The same can be said for the topics you write about. There’s an audience for many types of writing, but don’t be shocked people aren’t racing to read your 17th-century historical fiction blog or your haiku’s.

Write about what you want to write about, but know that certain ways of writing and subjects simply aren’t as appealing as others.

You can be authentic, unique, and sincere, but your writing has to do one of these three things to succeed.

Entertain

Your writing isn’t just in competition with other writing, it’s also in competition with “movies, apps and free high definition pornography,” says bestselling author Ryan Holiday.

People love to be entertained. Life can be mundane, even painful. People need an outlet to escape from time to time. If your writing provides that, people will pay attention.

There are several ways to entertain people with your writing.

• Tell compelling stories
• Make them laugh
• Say things most people wouldn’t normally say

Your writing is for you, but if you want people to read it, it has to do something for them too.

Educate

“How to,” posts are popular for a reason. People like learning new things. If you can help people improve an area of their life they’ll appreciate your work.

There’s no need to try to be an expert.

Share what you know about a certain subject people want to learn about.

Share “advice as autobiography,” as James Altucher puts it. Meet people where they are and share what you’ve learned through experience.

Giving advice atop a pedestal reeks of insincerity.  Don’t lecture. Share.

Inspire

People love feeling inspired. Ephemeral as it can be, inspiration lifts people up from their darkness, gives them hope, and every once in a while, leads to true change in their lives.

You don’t have to be a “rah-rah,” cheerleader type, but if you can find a way to lift people up with your words, your readers will come back for more.

I wasn’t always an author.

I used to be a near drug addict, a womanizer, an alcoholic — not much of a good person at all.

At one point I had enough of the depression and darkness and looked for sources of inspiration.

I started hanging out with more positive people, read inspirational books, listened to TED talks, and the inspiration I drew from these sources helped me become a better person.

Inspiration isn’t a substitute for work.

I still had to take action, but it started with inspiration.

When used wisely, giving the gift of inspiration helps people change for the better. Find a way to use your experiences to help others make a change in themselves.

The Trifecta

The pros, the writers we all admire, manage to do all three at once.

Great writing is alchemy — you take bits of entertainment, mix in some education, and add a dash of inspiration, in order to create remarkable work.

Writers are like chefs. We all have the same ingredients available to us. The ones who set themselves apart master the mixture of these ingredients.

With practice, it can be done.

Tinker. Play around with the elements. Repeat the process.

You can master the craft of writing. I’m convinced that talent doesn’t mean much when it comes to being successful at anything.

You may never become a Hemingway, Vonnegut, Rowling, or R.R Martin, but if you commit to the craft, while also paying attention to your readers, you’ll become a bonafide wordsmith.

I continue to repeatedly learn the same lesson when it comes to writing:

You’ll never be successful until you get out of your own way.

The next time you publish something and it falls flat, ask yourself if it contained any of these elements of successful writing. Chances are it doesn’t. Don’t fret. Go back to the drawing board. Use these ingredients as your checklist.

Your favorite writer had to grow into the writer they’ve become.

You have to grow, too. Keep going.

Tired of being an unknown writer, or, an aspiring writer who doesn’t actually write?

Let me help you. I know what it’s like to hit publish and feel like a pebble being thrown into an ocean of content online. I also know how to change that.

Join me and 1500 + other writers here, to learn how to find an audience for your work.

You’ll also get my book, The Destiny Formula, for free, as well as a detailed guide to publishing your first book.

Connect, Engage, Share

If this post resonated with you, please make sure to share it with your friends via social media, because it will help other people find it who might benefit from it.

Writing is tough. Writing something remarkable is even more difficult.

The gap between the idea of writing and the practice itself is so large, because it takes a certain energy and commitment to accomplish.

You have what it takes to be a writer. I have no doubt in my mind you could be great if you tried.

In a pivotal moment of my life, a friend asked me to start writing for him. I always kind of wanted to write, but he gave me the permission I wasn’t able to give myself.

After I started I never looked back.

I want to give you that permission right now.

I hope by the end of reading this you’ll get started, because we need you.

What if?

What if Steven King’s wife didn’t pick Carrie out of the trash can and convince him to publish the book? We wouldn’t have the dozens of horror classics that sparked the growth of a genre.

What if J.K. Rowling decided to give up on publishing Harry Potter after dozens of rejections from publishers? Millions of imaginations wouldn’t have been taken on roller coaster ride.

What if George R.R. Martin decided to go into accounting instead of writing stories? Game of Thrones wouldn’t exist. I repeat, Game of Thrones wouldn’t exist. What a terrifying thought.

The book stores and libraries we visit are full of words written by people who had the courage to go from aspiring to professional.

What if you’re supposed to be one of those courageous people?

The amount of stories found in libraries and books stores pales in comparison to the amount of stories found in the graveyard.

Amazing stories by amazing people never made it onto paper and into the world.

To me, one of the saddest things in the world is being buried with your “what ifs.”

Do you want your life to end with “what if?”

You can create something special with your words, but will you?

You WILL Get Better

I get it.

You want to be a writer, but you don’t think you are or ever will be good enough.

Here’s the thing — nobody is born a gifted writer. 

Talent helps, of course, but even the writing legends we look up grew into the masters they became.

To be a great writer, you need to practice. If you practice, you will get better.

I’ll prove it.

If I show you what I’m about to show you, will you promise not to laugh at me?

Ok. Here goes.

What you’re about to see is the first paragraph of something I wrote in the beginning of my writing career.

Prepare to cringe. 

“I remember when I was young how thrilling, and terrifying it was to go walk up to a girl and talk to her. When I was young I would describe a girl with phrases like “she is really pretty” or “she is beautiful”. When I say young I mean grade school days, because not too long after that things began to change. I’m not sure exactly how old I was, but I estimate that around the age of 13 was when I first watched a pornographic film. I talk a lot about the cognitive functioning of the brain and how neural pathways are built constantly by one’s behaviors, especially is the behavior is repetitive.”

This paragraph is a struggle bus colliding into a train wreck. I had no idea what I was doing and the writing didn’t make sense. I could’ve stopped there. Maybe I should’ve stopped there because of how bad it was, but I didn’t.

I kept writing poorly until I got better.

200 + blog posts later, I’m a much better writer. I’ll never stop learning and practicing, because I know given enough time I’ll become the master I wish to be.

The same will happen for you if you do the work. Writing is something anybody can excel in with  practice.

You’re the only one standing in your way.

Unique Perspectives

I have no idea what it’s like to be a woman struggling to earn respect in the male dominated advertising industry, a thirty year old man who was supposed to die at the age of two, or a millionaire who lost all his money and made it back more than once, but their stories gave me a small glimpse into their lives.

Stories give me perspectives I’d never be able to see on my own. Different perspectives help me “see,” better.

Your side of the story can help other people “see,” better too.

You might not think you’re special, but you are. There’s nobody like you. There’s nobody who can write like you. 

We want your angle on the story, even if it’s only different by a degree, because it helps broaden the conversation as a whole.

26 letters creates billions of unique stories. It’s amazing to think of it that way.

We need your mixture of 26 letters, because we can’t cook the recipe like you can, even though we have the same ingredients. That’s the beauty of writing. Everything’s been said, but there’s always a new way to say it.

Only you can say it your way.

We Need You

Without talented writers, the world would be a drab and dreary place.

Your favorite T.V. shows and movies have writers. Someone wrote the speeches that sparked change in the world and moved people.  Words are the currency of life. We need writers like you to make our lives better.

In my personal life, I have a hard time showing empathy. I can be arrogant, narcissistic, and selfish. I’m able to empathize with others with my writing.

When someone thanks me for what I’ve written, I’m reminded of the point of writing. It’s not really about me. It’s about the impact my words have on someone else.

If you’re on the fence about pursuing a writing career, consider this — it’s not about you.

It’s about what the world needs from you.

If you were in a position to help a friend or family member, would you turn your back on them? No. You’d do everything in your power to help them.

You have the power to make an impact on other people’s lives with your words. To ignore your power is to rob us from something we need.

You owe us your words.

They’re not yours. They’re ours.

Something you write in the future could change someones life and be their turning point.

Your writing can give someone a laugh when they’re feeling low or a story to immerse their imagination in when their real life is tough to bear.

Think of your writing as a gift to give other people. If you can’t do it for yourself, do it for us, because we need you.

Did you know there’s a website called Medium.com you can use to make a full-time living writing, no strings attached? Get exclusive access to your free five-day email course on monetizing Medium.

Is paralysis analysis killing your creativity?

It’s been happening to me lately.

I went through dozens of different drafts before I made it to writing this post.

I wanted to make sure the subject matter was worth writing about.

It didn’t feel good. I felt rigid. I was putting too much pressure on myself over it.

After all of the back and forth, I figured, “why not write a post about not knowing what to write about?”

Everybody wants to find their voice, their niche, their subject, their purpose. They want certainty that they should write about a certain subject.

Today I’m going to share some ways to think about the subject you choose to write about that will hopefully take away some of the pressure and let you do what matters most — the work.

It’s Okay to Change Your Mind

How many of your friends went to college for a certain type of degree but got a job in an entirely different field? It happens all of the time. Think of the subject you write about the same way. If you try writing about a certain subject and it isn’t a good fit, it’s not like you’re locked into it for life.

I started off writing about personal development, but I wanted to broaden my subject matter and talk about new things I’ve learned about like writing and creativity. Maybe I’ll write about all three in the future.

It doesn’t matter.

The only thing that matters is practicing the craft and honing your voice in the process. If you plan on making a career out of writing, switching between different subjects is almost inevitable, just like any other type of career.

It’s more important to test the water. You can read 100 more blog posts about picking blog posts topics or you can test the topics.

Make a small commitment to writing about a certain subject for a certain period of time to see if you like it. If you like it, keep writing about it. If you don’t, move onto something else. Either way, you’re building and growing more skilled.

I worked as a pizza delivery boy, a salesman, and a project manager. Skills I’ve gained in each of those jobs has helped in with writing and marketing my work.

I’m writing about writing now, but personal development is intertwined with writing and other creative fields because it takes grit to succeed in them.

You’re worried about wasting time, but you’re already wasting time by not doing anything.

When it comes to writing, nothing’s ever wasted.

Niche is Overrated

If focusing too much on your niche inhibits creativity and keeps you from taking action, it’s doing more harm than good.

Your niche is human beings with emotions and brains. Tap into those two things and you’ll find people to read your writing. Think about who you want to help and how you can help them. The only thing you should avoid is making your writing all about yourself. 

What problems do you see in the world that you can offer solutions to? Write about that.

What are some things you’ve gone through in the past you wish you could advise yourself on now? Give that advice to other people.

What’s obvious to you that doesn’t seem apparent to others? Get on your soapbox.

Niche is necessary to an extent, but instead of waiting for it to find you, write your way into finding it.

Your voice matters most. That’s what people read your work for.

For the most part, everything’s been said. Your favorite writers are your favorite writers because of the way they say what’s already been said before.

Us writers are like prisms. The subject shines through us and comes out of each of us a little bit differently.

If you focus on the way you say things, it won’t matter what you write about.

Make Little Bets

I agonized over what to write about because I wanted it to be great. I wanted to make sure it helped everyone that read it. But if you try to please everybody you end up pleasing nobody.

Instead, I’ll use this post as a “little bet” towards my future.

In the book Little Bets, author Peter Sims talks about the process of finding success by conducting small experiments.

He use comedian Chris Rock as an example of the strategy.

He goes to small comedy clubs to test out his jokes. Some of them bomb horribly. That doesn’t phase him. The whole point is to find out what works without any preconceived notions.

The audience decides which jokes are good and which aren’t. The process gets repeated over and over til it’s just right. If a joke hits at every club he visits he knows it’s worthy of the routine.

It may take him a year of testing jokes before his routine is refined enough to have an hour’s worth of HBO special worthy material. If he tried putting a one hour act together without testing it in bits and pieces the results could be disastrous.

The little bets method is the opposite of perfectionism.

Edit your work, but release it at some point. Keep making little bets as often as you can until you get your voice and subject matter just right.

You could let another year go by without making a decision, or you could publish something every day and have 365 bets toward a better writing future.

Which one sounds like a better strategy?

The Truth About Procrastination in Writing

I’ve been agonizing over what I’d write next because I was afraid. Pretending that I wanted my next post to be just right was a form of hiding.

I’ve been growing and more people have viewed my work. It’s been causing me to worry about their reactions, which is the best way to kill my creativity.

I’m glad a few people choose to read my words, but at the end of the day it shouldn’t and doesn’t matter if anyone reads them.

This is my little bet. It’s a speck of dust compared to my future body of work (if I’m going to have this long career I think I’ll have). I’ll make thousands of additional little bets until one pays off. Then I’ll make a thousand more. That’s how you succeed in writing or anything else.

Every second you worry about what topic you want to write about, what software you’re going to use, how you’re going to market yourself on social media, or anything other than actually writing, is a second you could’ve spent doing the work.

Be honest with yourself? Are you unsure of a topic to write about or are you just unsure of yourself?

Make your little bet today, tomorrow, and the next day. After a while, you’ll have grown so much you can write about whatever the hell topic you want.

Why do I write?

I write because it’s one of the few things that allows me to be myself – my real self. Life requires you to be fake sometimes. I don’t have to fake it when I write.

I write because it’s amazing how many different concepts, ideas, and messages can be shared with only 26 letters.

I write because I get lost in the words. I can take break from being a person with problems and immerse myself in my keyboard.

I write because I have something to say. It’s my duty to share my struggles, knowledge, and advice.

I write because I’m obsessed with words and the power they have. Words are the current that runs through life itself.

I write because I can say things on the page that I can’t say out loud to another person. I fear showing vulnerability in person. I need to bleed. Writing helps me exercise my demons.

I write because I look up to great writers. I want to become one of them. The craft is sacred. I want to honor it by becoming the best writer I can be.

I write because I have to. I’m called to do it. Nothing else in my life feels this right. 

I write because it’s hard. I love the challenge of trying to stand out in a sea of noise. I love trying to top my greatest work.

I write because I want to leave a legacy. I want to leave my own little dent in the universe. I want my great grandchildren to be able to pick up one my books and get to know me even after I’m gone.

I write because it’s fun! There’s joy in it. I’ve done it for free, and I’d keep doing it for free, even though I plan on doing it for a living.

I write because it helps me learn. I can take the things I’ve read, the experiences I’ve had, the perspectives of other people, and use them to create something special. This is the entire point of learning.

I write because I’m insecure, and (I believe) writing is something I happen to be good at, so it makes me feel good about myself.

I write because it’s the only thing I do in my life that feels genuine. My job doesn’t feel genuine. I’m not even sure I’m one hundred percent genuine with the people closest to me. But I’m genuine here, right now.

Why should you write?

If you have the itch to write, you should write. Else the itch will fester, turn into a disease, and ruin you. That’s what unfulfilled dreams do – they eat at you slowly. When you realize what’s happened it might be too late. Half of you has already withered away.

You should write because life is short. Writing helps your life feel longer than it is. The moments of flow extend your life.

You should write because we need to hear your side of the story. We need authentic voices. We need more members of the army fighting against the resistance of doubt, fear, and conformity.

You should write because it helps you grow. You’re a different person 100 blog posts later, 3 books later, and years of experience later.

You should write because you have demons that need exercising too.

You should write if you feel called to write. If you want to be a writer, then be a writer. Don’t listen to snobs who say you’re not a writer until _______. Fuck them. If you constantly face the resistance and write, you’re a writer.

Why Do You Write?

Tell me in the comments below.

Why Don’t You Write?

Tell me what’s holding you back

Tired of being an unknown writer, or, an aspiring writer who doesn’t actually write?

Let me help you. I know what it’s like to hit publish and feel like a pebble being thrown into an ocean of content online. I also know how to change that.

Join me and 1500 + other writers here, to learn how to find an audience for your work.

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Connect, Engage, Share

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Drop a note in the comments section, too, because I want to hear from you and learn how I can help.

Who doesn’t love the Olympics?

Every four years, we get to see the best of the best of the best compete. The Olympics is so interesting, because the athletes have few chances to win medals in their lifetime.

In almost every other sport, you get a new season each year, but in the Olympics, it’s do or die. Lose and wait close to a half-decade for your next opportunity.

I’m always thinking of ways to tie in different areas of life with writing, so today I wanted to share some lessons we can learn from the world’s greatest athletes in the world’s greatest athletic showcase.

Love the work for the sake of the work

For every Michael Phelps, there are hundreds of Olympic athletes who don’t make sizable incomes. Olympic athletes train and compete for love of their sport. It’s why they’re so endearing.

There’s none of the pretentiousness you see with professional athletes. The Olympics represent sport in its purest form.

I want to make a full time living with my writing, but the dedication to the craft for the sake of the craft comes first.

Great writing can’t come from a place of pure selfishness. If you want to write solely for money or fame, don’t write. You won’t last long enough to succeed anyway.

Write for joy. Write to make a difference and get ideas you believe in to spread. Don’t write just so you can create a course or get a book deal.

People can tell if you’re being sincere or not.

Work, Work, Work

Imagine practicing your writing for four years before you publish your first book. That’s what it’s like to train for the Olympics.

Sure, there’s word championships in between, but reaching the podium is the holy grail Olympic athletes are really shooting for.

The medalists get there by incessant practice — shaving milliseconds of their start, jumping a half an inch higher, repeating routines until they’re woven into their muscle memory. Many of these athletes dedicate their entire existence to practice and do little else.

Imagine what your writing career would look like if you took the attitude of an Olympic athlete — stressing over each sentence, hacking away words that don’t push the conversation forward, editing the same page over and over until it’s just right.

Each time I feel like complaining about my lack of speedy success in writing, I remind myself how much practice and time it takes to master the craft.

I guarantee you can practice more than you are right now.

Make your effort match your aspirations.

Take Care of Your Body

Olympic athletes keep strict diets to keep their body in peak condition for competition. You can’t eat fast food 3 times a week and win a gold medal.

Sure, writers aren’t athletes, but the way we treat ourselves physically affects our performance too.

My colleague, Matt Hearnden, wrote an about the subject of health and writing. In it, he talked about ways he improved his writing such as:

• Getting more sleep
• Eating healthier
• Taking care of his mind — by saying no to things that were either stressful or unimportant.

Productivity and health are tied to one another.

Take great care of your body and mind to produce quality writing.

Pace Yourself

I watched the cycling road race the other day. The ending fascinated me. American cyclist, Mara Abbot, was leading the race for the duration of it after another cyclist crashed her bike on the road.

She created a healthy lead, and it looked like she was going to win the race. There were three cyclists behind her, and in the final seconds of the race, all three of them passed her on the way to the finish line. The race was more than 100 mile long.

The cyclists appeared to be working together until the final stretch, where they engaged in a free-for-all to the finish. Abbot, who was poised for victory, seemed to run out of gas right when she needed it most.

The cyclists who won medals  were patient and conserved their energy before making the final push.

To be a successful writer you need to work hard and practice, but the most important trait a writer can have is patience. Building a writing career is a marathon, and most writers burn themselves out (way) before they succeed.

Multiply the length of time you think it will take to succeed as a writer times ten. It’s hard.

I haven’t yet mastered patience, but I keep writing, because I know there’s no other way. I have to remind myself to stay steady and avoid burning out — every.single.day.

Believe in Yourself

Track and Field athlete, Morolake Akinosun, wrote a tweet five years ago declaring she’d  make the Olympic team. She made it.

She worked hard to reach her goal, of course, but creating a vision for her future contributed to her success.

Visualization often takes on a “woo woo,” context, which isn’t helpful. “The Secret,” is bullshit.

On the other hand, visualization coupled with actual work can and will help you reach your writing goals.

It’s so difficult to see yourself in a place of success when you’re nowhere near reaching it. Mastering your mindset is just as important, if not more, as mastering the craft.

Who are you to become a talented writer? Who are you not to be.

On the road to reaching your writing dreams you will want to quit — dozens if not hundreds of times. Create a strong vision for your future to keep you from throwing in the towel.

I have a vision for my future, where I spend my entire day reading, writing, and sharing. I hold onto that vision, because I’m in the trenches — practicing, learning, and trying to get people to care.

It’s what keeps me going when I don’t feel like doing the work.

Get a Coach

There a stigma around coaching and online training for writers and marketers, but successful athletes all use coaches and trainers.

Some people scoff at hiring a coach or taking a course because they think it’s just as easy to find helpful information online for free.

This comes from a scarcity mindset.

Many of us think we’re above getting help. Why?

Are we so gifted that we can’t benefit from training or coaching?

Do we know something the world’s most successful people who use coaches don’t?

I took a publishing course to help me write and market my first book. I profited from investing in my education and the course helped me accomplish something I never would have done on my own. I’ve paid for membership websites to help me improve my craft on a regular basis.

You can spend endless hours, months, maybe even years of your life trying to figure everything out on your own, or you could get help.

Olympic athletes work with the best trainers.

Internet marketing draws its share of seedy characters, but there are coaches and training programs with honest intentions to help you.

You’re smart. Do your due diligence, and invest in yourself.

Compete With Yourself Only

I like the fact that the Olympics includes so many individual sports. Individual athletes compete with themselves.

In sports like swimming and track and field, you aren’t trying to penetrate your opponents defense.

You’re just doing the best you can, and the best wins. It’s pure.

Writers are the same way.

You can compare yourself to other writers all you want, but you’re not in competition with them. People buy books from multiple authors in the same genre and read blogs by multiple writers in the same niche.

You’re the solitary athlete. You train constantly to prepare for your next big shot. Each blog post or book you write is an attempt at reaching your “personal record,” for quality, craftsmanship, and excellence.

If you look in the other lanes during the race, it’ll slow you down.

Keep your eyes forward and run to the finish line.

When you watch the games this week, think of the dedication, time, and energy these athletes put into preparing for their events.

Think of the mindset it takes to train four years for a race that lasts ten seconds.

If you work even half as hard as an Olympic athlete, you’ll make it as a writer.

It’s never been easier to start writing online, but that doesn’t mean writing online is easy.

There has been an explosion of new writers entering the field on Medium, Twitter, LinkedIn, Substack, and more.

Everyone and their mom is calling themselves a writer now. It feels like the space gets noisier and more crowded by the day.

This is what happens to fields and platforms over time. The early adopters are rewarded for being early, everyone else piles in after that, platforms mature, and reach goes down.

The longer you wait to start, the more likely you are to be late to the next trend. 

There will be new opportunities. You can still do well on mature platforms. But you have to stop sitting on the sidelines.

You have to change your mindset around writing.

Ditch the attitude of entitlement, and embrace the fact that you’re probably going to have to do all of these things to become a full-time writer.

You Have to Stop Describing Yourself This Way

“I’m not a tech person.”

K…

You do realize that you are attempting to make money writing on, you know, the internet. 

A lot of new writers get it in their heads that they can’t learn tech skills when, in reality, they just have to grit their teeth and figure it out.

Here’s a list of things you’ll have to learn:

• How to navigate social writing platforms like Medium, Twitter, Substack, and LinkedIn
• How to use email marketing software to start building your list
• Setting up hosting for a personal blog
• Creating landing pages
• Understanding analytics
• Learning how to use short bits of HTML code
• Searching for images online to use in your posts
• Using tools like Canva to create graphics, thumbnails, lead magnets, etc

Just to name a few…

I get it.

Learning some of this stuff is painfully boring. Drink extra coffee, block out some time, and hack your way through those mind-numbing tutorials.

It is what it is.

Sorry, This is Unavoidable

You have to learn marketing, persuasion, and sales.

You have to get good at figuring out who your audience is, what they want, and the best way to give them what they want. It doesn’t matter what form or genre you use, you still have to learn how to market your work.

How else are people going to find it?

A lot of writers have a surprisingly large blindspot about this subject.

They will launch a book on Amazon that has a weak title, a boring cover, a lackluster description, with no marketing vehicle like an email list behind it, and they’re genuinely surprised their book sold 12 copies.

They thought the algorithm would do the work. A lot of writers feel this way. They just put their work on a certain platform and expect it to take off. The build it and they will come mentality is cancerous to your writing career.

Some brutal truths you must embrace:

• You’ll have to be what you consider pushy. I sent 10x the amount of emails for my second book than my first book. Sales were much higher.
• Catchy headlines, hooks, numbered lists, etc, are tested and proven tactics that work. If you don’t want to use or learn them ever, fine, but don’t be upset if you don’t get views
• It’s called best-selling author, not a best-writing author
• If you want to make big bucks writing, you’re going to have to turn it into a business, which means learning different forms of writing like email funnels, copy, sales pages, etc
• You might have to *gasp* actually talk to people

Great books and guides on marketing and the psychology of persuasion:

• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion
• Presuasion
• $100m Offers
• Building a Story Brand
• DotCom Secrets, Expert Secrets, and Traffic Secrets

“Just Writing” Isn’t An Option

It’d be nice if you could just sit back, write, and watch the money come piling in.

You can make four figures writing on Medium, but you’re going to have to do something else on top of it if you want to go full-time.

Zulie Rane put it well:

True passive income for writers is rare, and even more rare is passive income for freelance writers. Most of our work is active.

Instead, I recommend you find boring but doable writing income streams and use the rest of your time on your unprofitable passion.

For example, most of the fiction writers I know who’ve done well make a decent chunk of money from writing fiction but also teach other people how to write fiction to supplement their income.

Creating courses and coaching is one option.

If that’s not your style you can try:

• Serial kindle publishing: You write a handful of short kindle books each year & the money piles up eventually
• Big-time book publishing: There are people like James Clear, Brianna Wiest, and Ryan Holiday who have written major bestsellers, but they had to build up large audiences and email lists to attract the attention of big publishers
• Affiliate marketing: This is where you promote other people’s products for a commission. Usually, to pull this off, you have to have a personal blog with strong SEO and lots of traffic.
• Paid newsletters: Again, the math here means you have to build a big list to make money. Say you want to make $5,000 a month with a $10/month newsletter. At a 10% conversion rate, you’d need a list of 5,000 people.
• Freelancing: This is the quickest, fastest, and most profitable way. I have clients who pay me $600 per article. Check out the video below for a deeper explanation

You Have to Stop Thinking Like an Employee

If you expect an immediate reward for your writing like you get from an hourly wage at a job, you’re going to get frustrated, burn out, and quit forever.

One of my favorite quotes comes to mind:

“Work to learn, not for money.” – Robert Kiyosaki

First, in order to be able to make money writing, your writing has to be good. If you’re new, it’s not.

There’s a lot of really bad writing on Medium. Like, really bad. Which I’m fine with because you need to write poorly to get good. But these writers don’t seem to make the connection between their bad writing and their lack of money.

Take the amount of time you think you need to practice to get good and multiply it by ten.

You can write junk for content mills and get paid scraps, but if you want to get premium freelance clients, you need to have premium-quality writing.

You need to practice just for the sake of getting good now, so you can make money later. You also need to do a bunch of activities that don’t do much for you in the beginning, but pay huge down the road:

• Writing for exposure and to build your audience/email list
• Watching a bunch of YouTube videos, readings guides, listening to podcasts, or buying courses to study the ins and outs of the game
• Writing stuff that gets no views and earns no money because your following is tiny

The biggest hurdle comes in the beginning because nobody knows who you are. Your audience is so small that there’s not much to compound. But, just like investing, compounding will take effect if you give it enough time. 

The first 90 days to 6 months is where 90 percent of writers quit. Make it past that and compounding will start to work in your favor.

You Have to Write A lot. Like, A lot Lot

This is why I always tell people…

If you don’t like to write, then don’t try to become a writer.

I can give you tips, tricks, and tweaks to make your writing better.

I understand what it’s like to be afraid to start. I was. But once I got settled in, I got accustomed to doing the work because it was fun. If writing feels like a chore to you instead of something you look forward to doing, it’s going to be a rough road ahead.

Don’t fall for the hype.

Some gurus will tell you writing is one of the easiest ways to make money online.

It’s one of the hardest.

I’m reminded of this quote from mark Manson:

As a business plan, blogs suck. They take years and thousands of hours of work to ramp up to a level where you can monetize them.

Either a) you have some other business and blogging would be a nice way to help promote it. Or b) you just really, really, really enjoy blogging. Outside of those two reasons, there’s no legitimate reason to start one.

There are so many ways to make a living. There are easier ways to make a bunch of money that don’t involve writing your ass off. If this is the path you choose, accept up front that it will be long, winding, and grueling.

I love the game.

I’ve had my fair share of heartbreaks, lows, and moments of frustration, but I wouldn’t take those moments back because they made me that much stronger.

The fact that it’s hard is a good thing.

If becoming a full-time writer was easy, it wouldn’t be so impressive to tell others that you do it.