How I got myself addicted FAST to writing online again (money update)
There’s a popular rule of thumb out there that it takes as little as 21 days to form a new habit.
Other scientific studies have put the number at around 66 days.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret.
I think it’s a lot less than that.
This should be encouraging to anyone who’s interested in starting a good habit or ending a bad one.
Let me tell you what I think the magic number is, and then I’ll tell you why I think it’s so important in terms of building a side business.
My magic number
I’ve quit a number of bad habits over the past year.
I stopped drinking alcohol after 15 years of struggling with it.
And I also quit caffeine as a way of improving my sleep and controlling my anxiety.
And in both cases, I found that it took just 10 days for me to see a massive difference in my quality of life.
This works both ways.
During the pandemic, our local gym had reduced hours and you had to book specific time blocks.
Insanely, I chose the 6 a.m. block, which meant getting my butt out of bed at around 5:30 a.m.
I had extra incentive because almost everything was shut down and what the hell else was I going to do with my time?
This was tough at first, of course — 5:30 a.m. is early — but before long I couldn’t see myself NOT going to the gym at that time.
It had become a habit.
It had shifted from something that was uncomfortable to do to something that was uncomfortable not to do.
Big Mo arrives
I use this example a lot, but it’s because the concept is so simple and the imagery is seared into my brain.
In my favorite self-improvement book of all time (affiliate link), author Darren Hardy asks the reader to picture themself as a child back in the playground trying to get a metal merry-go-round going.
At the start, it takes a lot of effort.
But once you get it flying, it only takes a little kick here and there to keep it going.
This really is true of any endeavor in life, whether it be going to the gym or writing online.
Once you build a habit, you have momentum. Once you have momentum, incredible things can happen.
Write more, make more
Just as I noticed my caffeine and alcohol habits mentally shift to caffeine and alcohol avoidance after about 10 days, I noticed this week that I’ve gotten myself addicted to publishing content online again.
Whether it’s here or on my YouTube channel, I now feel that I MUST do it.
It pops into my head at weird times, just like my alcohol cravings used to.
I was just driving to the store, and ideas for a couple of posts just floated into my brain.
Then the idea for THIS post arrived because I was randomly thinking about things to write about all the time again.
It arrived on Day 10 of my Publish Every Day project, which I’ll update you on below.
10 days.
What habit would you like to start? What habit would you like to quit?
Take it from me — you’ll see big changes sooner than you think.
Publish Every Day goal tracker: Day 12
I’m doing an experiment to see if I can make enough money to retire from commuter life within 1 year by publishing every day on multiple platforms and investing my earnings.
How much I need to retire comfortably: $250 CAD per day
What I earned on Day 12: $35.06 (writing), $3.00 (YouTube), $0.33 (dividends) — $38.39 total
Progress chart:
Publish Every Day Project progress on Day 7
2023 averages ($USD):
What I published the past 2 days:
This post about why you should be so proud of yourself as an early-stage online creator
This one about how football star Tom Brady taught me I didn’t need caffeine to work out
Looking for something else to read?
My 10 most popular stories:
Do these 4 exercises and you’ll be in the best shape of your life
The one priceless book that kicked off my quit alcohol journey
Jacked Rob Lowe revealed the 1 harsh truth about staying fit at 60
Wow, YouTube just slashed its monetization threshold in half
Mark Wahlberg’s 3:30 a.m. wake-up time actually isn’t as crazy as you think
I quit alcohol 6 months ago but one thing is making me really sad
Bruce Springsteen’s 1 effective fitness tip for staying cut at 70
Love the endeavour and I find it really interesting to see your progression.
You’ve set the target of not commuting at all which is great as a vision statement.
I wonder if there are some interim targets that might help you accelerate your journey.
For instance, if 250 is the goal to give up commuting completely there must be a number that allows you to go down to 4 days a week. At that point you can double down and use the extra day to speed up your journey to your ultimate goal.
So thinking of it as a gradual transition could really help. It also gives you a taste of what it might feel like when you get to 5 days. Do you enjoy that lifestyle? Does it suite your personality. Do you want to tweak your vision?
Does that help at all?