15 minutes a day. That's all it takes to train your brain to do a task. Paul J. Silvia, a doctor who studies the psychology of creativity and the arts, explains, "Habits come from repetition--doing the same behaviors with the same stuff in the same place at the same times. Our brains settle in for writing faster when they detect that they are in the writing place at the writing time" (34). Not only will you train your brain to get used to writing, but your brain will also become more efficient as your brain muscles build strength--making you faster at settling into and finishing writing tasks.
Use these three tips to help you get started on a 15-minute-a-day plan:
Find a place. Pick a location where you are the least likely to get interrupted and go there. One of my students told me she set up a chair in a sparse closet. The house noises were blocked out, and no one thought to look in the closet for her. One of my friends likes to write in coffee shops with his earbuds pumping out his favorite jams. I like to write in my easy chair with my computer in my lap, a little soothing classical playing in the background. Everyone is different, and no space is a one-size-fits-all fix for writers. You have to find what works best for you.
Set a time. Pick a time that's doable and consistent. I like to write at night, but night writers are rare; most people write better earlier in the day. You want to be alert and able to reserve that writing time consistently. Some of my peers write during a 15 minute morning break or over their lunch hour. Others pause during the last 15 minutes of their workday to reflect. Be realistic about choosing a time that works best for you so you are more likely to consistently sit down and write at that time.
Set a timer. Setting a timer will help you stay accountable to that time. Yeah, you are welcome to write for longer than 15 minutes, but set a timer so that you write for at least 15 minutes. You might not set a timer forever, but getting your brain used to writing at a certain time will help train your brain's endurance.
Habits take time to develop, so don't get discouraged if you have to adjust your training schedule a few times before you find a time that's consistent each day and a place that gives you space to get the writing done.
Work Cited:
Silva, Paul J. How to Write a Lot. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association, 2019.
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