Happy Changes for Happy Writing

One of the secrets of making changes that stick, is starting so small that you don’t wake up the Chicken Little part of your brain. It’s that idea of setting yourself up for success, because even the tiniest of successes are encouraging.

Yes I know, there’s also the hard part of starting small. You want to make a change now dammit! And that tiny step is still So. Far. Away. from what it is you really want.

I’m asking you to trust me on this.

At a minimum, you’ll get at least that tiny step closer (which you aren’t doing now) and, the much more likely scenario, it’s just the first step to getting what you really want.

And that’s the idea behind Happy Changes. A list of tiny changes you can experiment with over the next week. And beyond.

Choose one of these things, one that feels completely and utterly doable to you, even if you aren’t sure it will make a difference, and play with it this week. Let me know how it goes here, in the comments, on twitter (using the hashtag #happychanges) or Facebook.

Happy Writing

I currently have the most solid writing practice of my life.

I’ve been blogging five days a week for nearly four months straight and I’ve written at least 750 words every day, except for five, of the last four months.

That’s a lot of words. I’m thrilled with how much writing I’m doing, and, at the same time, I know it could be a more integral part of my day, it could be easier, it could be more fun.

So, I’m going to play with my writing practice. I’m going to experiment with one or two of these things this week, just to see if and how it shifts things for me. I hope that you’ll play with it too, whether you have struggle with a writing practice, you dream of writing, or you have a solid writing practice that could use a little spice.

• Write at a different time of day. If you normally write in the mornings, try writing in the evenings or at lunch time.
• Handwrite a note (and mail it).
• Pull out a journal you’ve been afraid to start writing in, and write about what was stopping you.
• Write all of your thoughts, stream-0f-consciousness style for 15 minutes (or five, or even one).
• Type if you normally write longhand. Try a site like 750 words to track your writing.
• Write an old story that’s been circling your thoughts.
• Write in a different location. Try standing if you normally sit. Try writing outside if you normally write inside at your desk.
• Write longhand if you normally type.
• End your writing session in the middle of a sentence when you know what’s coming next, a la Hemingway.
• Invent another tiny way to play with your writing and please, share it!

Remember, I’d love to hear how it goes, either here in the comments, on twitter (using the hashtag #happychanges) or on the Perception Studios Facebook page.

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In the last Happy Changes post we talked about Happy Inboxes. I’m handling the backlog slowly but surely, and experimenting with ways to easily stay current. 

Check out all the past Happy Changes.