How To Write Something Extraordinary (even when you don't feel extraordinary)

Donkey.jpg

You know what, I'm am no longer working a day job (that's right, full time coaching and loving it) and I still get up at 4:30 AM three or four times a week.

Is that insane?

I've been asking people, and yes, they think it's a little insane. And that's exactly what's so great about it. 

So often when we're trying to do something extraordinary, like write a book, run a business, or distinguish ourselves in some way, we get bogged down in self-doubt. 

That happens to me, anyway, I don't know about you.

I may not be a brilliant genius who exhales flawless poetry the way other people yawn, but I can get up at 4:30 in the morning. And when I feeling down, when I'm feeling like I'm never going to make it, when I'm feeling that my whole life's enterprise was a fools dream, I get up really early and figure things out.

It's not my creativity that's helped me to distinguish myself, it's actually just the mundane weirdness that I get up so early. And I don't even do it all the time. Just a few times a week.  

Right now there is so much pressure on writers and content creators to stick out on the internet, and pressure doesn't help creativity. There are all sorts of studies to back this up. Pressure can help to speed up mundane tasks, but it exacerbates creative blocks. When you feel like you're being forced to be extraordinary (or funny, or clever, or any other creative task) you freeze.

So how do you distinguish yourself with all the pressure and competition on the internet? By staying consistent with those mundane tasks and allowing the space and freedom for creativity to grow on its own accord.  

That's why I get up early. I call it an anchor habit. Even if everything else sucks, I can go back to that simple habit. The fact is, I don't always believe in myself. I get down on my work, and question everything. But I do believe I can get up earlier than everybody else, and that starts to turn things around.

Create an anchor habit:

1. Time you set aside to let your mind wonder. 

2. A specific diet that helps you create the health and energy you need. 

3. A prayer or affirmation that you continually come back to. 

Belief in yourself isn't about brilliance. It's about faith and being able to trust yourself. No genius required. It's much simpler and more humble than that. So as you move into this week, and you want to be more creative, you don't need to be Picasso. You actually just need to be a donkey. 

Keep it steady!