Unlocking My Writing Potential: 11 Habits for Success in 2024
Written on
Chapter 1: Embracing Change in My Writing Journey
After a decade of catering to the Italian audience, I've grown weary. The audience is limited, and advanced content often goes unnoticed due to the small pool of experienced writers. Economic constraints have led many to be frugal, making it difficult to thrive in this market.
In 2021, I ventured into the English-speaking realm and quickly found a writing client who offered three times the compensation compared to Italian clients for similar work. This year, I am determined to claim what I rightfully deserve by publishing on Medium and expanding my newsletter to create a sustainable business around my writing.
While lofty aspirations and detailed plans are important, what will truly propel me forward are my daily habits. Here are the 11 habits I'm implementing:
1. Active Content Consumption
Initially, I subscribed to the idea of "Create, don’t consume," which is often directed at chronic procrastinators. However, content consumption is essential for growth. I actively engage with high-quality articles, videos, and podcasts, which provide me with ideas, skills, and inspiration.
The Strategy
I’ll dedicate time each day to consuming content, prioritizing audio formats due to my limited free time. My goal is to listen for at least 30 minutes daily while incorporating brief reading sessions whenever possible.
2. Capturing Ideas
In 2022, I began maintaining a Zettelkasten database to organize notes and ideas from the content I consume. I also have a system for quickly jotting down article ideas using Todoist’s mobile widget. At the end of the day, I transfer these ideas to my Notion writing workflow.
To stimulate creativity, I may revisit an exercise from James Altucher, where I write down ten ideas on a specific topic daily.
The Strategy
I’ll spend about an hour weekly on my Zettelkasten, and capturing ideas has become second nature. The ten ideas exercise might need a time-limited experiment, as I often struggle to find the 15 minutes required.
3. Collecting Stories
I often overlook the value of my experiences, yet personal stories are crucial for my writing. To combat this, I'm committed to actively collecting stories, both in real-time and from my memory.
The Strategy
I maintain a Notion database to document both minor and significant events, capturing them quickly. For memory recovery, I intend to write more personal essays to prompt recollections of faded experiences.
4. Leveraging Audience Engagement
Medium serves as my primary platform, and I'm eager to explore its social features to grow my presence. I engage with fellow writers daily by leaving thoughtful comments and discovering new articles.
The Strategy
I plan to spend 30 minutes daily interacting with the Medium community.
5. Consistent Writing Practice
In 2022, I dedicated my mornings to various writing tasks, ensuring I always had projects at different stages. My focus will shift to include more drafting, which I find most fulfilling.
The Strategy
I’ll reserve the first 2-3 hours each day for writing, dedicating at least 30 minutes to drafting.
Video Description: This video outlines key writing principles that can lead to wealth and success.
6. High-Volume Publishing
Successful Medium authors typically publish 12-20 long-form articles monthly. While many articles have a brief lifespan, the advantages of frequent writing include skill enhancement and greater audience insights.
The Strategy
I aim to publish at least 12 long-form articles each month and will work to streamline my creation process to minimize time spent per article.
7. Expanding Promotion Efforts
Although Medium excels at promoting my articles within its platform, I recognize the potential for broader outreach. I plan to repurpose my written content for platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Quora.
The Strategy
If I find my rhythm, I’ll allocate 2-3 hours weekly to explore a new platform, starting after June.
8. Engaging with Communities
Despite my initial overwhelm from joining multiple writing courses, they have proven beneficial, particularly due to the associated communities. I actively seek feedback and offer my insights to others.
The Strategy
I’ll spend about 30 minutes daily across all communities, depending on activity levels and my specific needs.
9. Weekly Newsletter Creation
A thriving email list is crucial for any online venture. I currently write a weekly newsletter sharing personal reflections and links to my latest articles, with subscriber growth each month.
The Strategy
I’ll continue dedicating an hour weekly to newsletter writing, with plans to adapt the format as my subscriber base expands.
10. Pushing Creative Boundaries
February saw a dip in my views but a surge in growth as I enrolled in a writing course that emphasized storytelling. This has encouraged me to explore new styles and refine my language.
The Strategy
I’ll focus on enhancing my writing skills and experimenting with diverse formats, such as personal essays.
11. Conducting Personal Experiments
My most successful articles often derive from personal experiments. I thrive on change and improvement, which leads me to constantly seek new habits and tools.
The Strategy
I’ll maintain my current practices while making an effort to document my experiences in my writing.
How These Habits Will Generate Income
While I’m uncertain whether Medium will yield substantial income, my earnings and views are on the rise. The Medium referral program could further bolster my growth. Additionally, I’m open to freelance opportunities due to my public portfolio, and I plan to actively seek writing jobs and pitch to online publications.
Ultimately, the most lucrative opportunity lies within my email list, which can facilitate the sale of coaching, consulting, and digital products. I’ll track my journey and share updates through my articles and newsletter. Subscribe for free here.
Video Description: Discover how non-writing skills can significantly boost your profitability as a writer.