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1 minute work day

A way to get yourself back to work.

David Gane
David Gane
1 min read

Here is a low-key trick if you’re not writing and actively avoiding it.

Commit yourself to only writing a minute a day. No more, no less. All you have to do is open the page and put a few words on it throughout that minute. When you are done, close it, and walk away.

You may feel foolish or put it off for most of the day, but if you commit, eventually, you’ll show up and get it done. And then tomorrow, hopefully, you’ll do it again.

After enough times, you might want to bump it up. Nothing too crazy. Maybe 5 minutes. Again it will feel silly, and you may question it, but if you stay with it, you’ll build the habit.

The goal of this exercise is to keep it simple and show up. Writing is the easy part.

Often, it isn’t the work that scares us off but the idea of work. If you can approach the problem on that level, you may be able to convince yourself that work isn’t the hard part and ultimately build it into a healthy and productive habit.

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David Gane Twitter

Co-writer of the Shepherd and Wolfe young adult mysteries, the internationally award-winning series, and teacher of storytelling and screenwriting.

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