2 min read
I get a lot of emails from people asking me how I manage to write a new blog post every day.
The number one reason I’m able to do so is simply because I have a lot of free time. I don’t have any kids, I live in an apartment that requires little maintenance/upkeep and I have a short commute to work. This means I naturally have plenty of time each day to sit down and write.
Aside from having free time, there are a few other habits and insights that have helped me stick to my daily writing habit:
I show up every day. Each morning I wake up between 5:30 – 6:30 AM, take a cold shower, drink a cup of water, brew some coffee, and sit down at my desk. I don’t always have an idea of what I want to write about when I sit down. But I have found that as long as I can show up, eliminate distractions (my phone) and sip coffee, the ideas start flowing eventually.
I eliminate the need for motivation. By making writing a daily habit, I don’t have to rely on motivation or inspiration to sit down and write. It’s simply something I do each day without thinking about it. It feels as natural as brushing my teeth. I don’t debate whether or not I should write. I just write.
As soon as an idea for an article pops into my head, I jot it down. I keep a folder full of notes for article ideas in my phone. I currently have 92 different notes sitting in that folder. If I find myself sitting at my desk without anything to write about, I scroll through this folder for some ideas. This has proven to be surprisingly helpful.
I resist the urge to write the “perfect” post. I have already accepted the fact that not every post I write will be a home run. Some are 10/10’s, but most are just 6’s or 7’s. I have found that it’s better to churn out a bunch of 7’s on a consistent basis than write one 10 per month. Perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
I follow my curiosity. When I first started this blog, I thought I had to write about what every other blogger in personal finance wrote about: 401(k)’s, Roth IRA’s, minimalism, credit cards, etc. Over time, I started to branch out and follow my curiosities. This has made blogging so much more enjoyable. If I feel like creating an interactive visual one day, I do that. If I feel like sharing a piece about my personal journey, I do that. If I feel like writing about some Netflix movie that I watched and how it relates to personal finance, I do that.
My writing advice in one sentence: Show up every day, don’t be a perfectionist, and write about things that intrigue you.
Zach is the author behind Four Pillar Freedom, a blog that teaches you how to build wealth and gain freedom in life.
He quit his day job as a data scientist in 2019 because he was able to earn enough income from profitable websites to replace his salary. He now teaches people how to start and grow their own profitable websites from scratch in the Income Community.
Zach's favorite free financial tool he's been using since 2015 to manage his net worth is Personal Capital. Each month he uses their free Investment Checkup tool and Retirement Planner to track his investments and ensure that he's on the fast track to financial freedom.
His favorite investment platform is M1 Finance, a site that allows him to build a custom portfolio of stocks for free, has no trading or maintenance fees, and even allows him to set up automated target-allocated investments.
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Thanks for the great advice…. i only started blogging recently, but i do the same thing. I write everyday, and i allow myself a bit of range to explore a range of topics, typically finance related, but typically whatever excites me at the moment.
I read your concept of the four pillars, definitely resonates with me
Keep up the daily writing! I think you’ll notice that over time you’ll begin to think of new ideas and make new connections between ideas much more easily.
Great tips! I write every day, but I still only publish one post per week. Your volume is very impressive.
Keep up the good work!
Dom
Thanks, Dom! Much appreciated 🙂
Thanks, Dom! Much appreciated 🙂
Yeah. I like it and can learn from this. It’s easy to overthink it or put it off. Your process cures a lot of these issues. Do you always then post from your morning sit down or do they sometimes sit in draft? Tom
I always post from my morning writing. Another benefit from writing before work each morning is that I give myself a strict deadline on when I have to finish the article so I can leave for work on time. I find that this forces me to focus during the 2 – 2.5 hours of writing. Thanks for the comment, Tom!
I really enjoyed this post. I think that half of showing up is knowing when and where to be.
Couldn’t agree more. Thanks, Billy!
Yup! There’s so much value to waking up early and letting the creativity flow from you. I also started doing something exciting: I booked a me-only writing retreat. It’s at a super cool Airbnb in the mountains and it’s time just for me to write, with zero distractions. Can’t wait!
Love the idea of a you-only writing retreat. I have actually considered doing something similar before, but have never gotten around to it. Maybe I’ll try it out this summer. Thanks for the suggestion 🙂
Love it Zach. I’m having some problems with time management on my part because I nitpick and want it as prefect as I can. Not productive.
Thanks, Lily 🙂 I still struggle at times with being a perfectionist but it has become easier and easier over time to just tell myself “screw it, ship it” and post what I have written.
Great advice Zach! The discipline to wake up early and make writing a daily habit whether you have an idea or not is very impressive. Definitely would like to get to the point where writing is a daily habit for myself.