“There is no such thing as good writing. There is only effective writing.” - Jeff Goins
Ever wondered what could be the greatest way to write? Well, “of course”, you would say. I know, it’s natural for writers to get haunted by this question. Or anyone, for that matter. 🤔 🤔
Everyone wants to know the best way to do whatever they do. In my case, it is to write.
But none of us, or at least I wasn’t able to find it out. I did get some hints, but the perfect way still remains privy to itself.
I wish I could find perfection in person. I would’ve punched him and tied him with me. And no matter how much it would try to hide its face, I would expose it out to all of you! 😈
But it’s a scathing truth that it’s not possible what I talk of here. You could wish it could happen. I’ll wish along with you, and it might happen someday.
There is no proper way.
There is no perfect way for anything. There can only be your way to do it.
I have read tons of articles on writing, productivity, success, and self-growth. But in the end, I always resort to something of my own.
I pluck a few bits of advice from here and there. Then I merge them. I add some of my spices and salts and my recipe is complete.
Till the last month, even I was dwelling in articles to increase my productivity and skill. On Medium and Quora, I would see the same question wherever I turned. The same dilemma. The same confusion. Echoes. Cries.
Even I was banging my head until I found a question on Quora. It cleared up all my questions. And guess who answered it… 😎 😎
The question was lying in my notifications. The person was asking about the “proper way to write.” At first, I chuckled. (As if he were a fool to ask that question!)
I replied.
I told him that there was no proper way! He will have to find it out for himself. His writing aim, situations and he himself was different and unique. Then how could the same success strategy that works for Tim Ferriss work for him?
That sounds a bit silly to me!
I don’t know what had come upon me that day. Probably someone mind-controlled me and wrote that answer. But I found that answer simple, realistic and logical too!
There is no proper way!
Decoding the perfection recipe
The next question is, that if there is no fixed proper way to write or do anything, then what is? How to find it?
Well, if you would’ve paid attention to my earlier sentences, I haven’t discouraged anyone from taking advises.
But I am discouraging the practice to imitate. Trying to follow the advice as it is. Not using our heads on what is right for us and what could be a mistake.
If the adviser tells you to write 1000 words every day. You write 500 words. Or as less as 100 words.
What I mean to say is, that you must think for yourself on what’s the best for you while building plans.
No one better than you can know your life situation. Only you can decide for yourself what works the best for you.
Many people say that you should wake up at 5 AM. But if your sleep cycle doesn’t support it, then try getting up on 6. Slowly, you can adjust your sleeping time and then jump onto 5!
The problem comes when we try to jump straight onto the advice. When we get too ambitious about the strategies that we’ve heard or read. This may result in falling hard. So hard that it cracks your chest.
After that fall you’ll quit. Your commitment for that advisers and his pieces of advice will get superficial.
Why?
Try to understand.
No two people, their situation, thinking, mindset and many other aspects can be the same. It is bound to differ.
On what basis do you write? Because you believe that you can always be unique and different from someone.
In the similar vein, being unique also creates a difference in the approaches to success!
FIND YOUR VOICE! FIND YOUR PROPER WAY TO WRITE!
After reading an article from Benjamin Hardy, I started to take a cold shower right after I woke up.
Hehe! I laugh when I think about it. Because I fell ill for 3 days straight. This affected the same productivity for which I had started to take bath.
My weather conditions, location, body-habits and much more is different than that of any other’s.
Probably I should’ve started with taking bath after 1–2 hours after waking up. Then slowly, I could’ve shifted my timings a bit. But getting over-ambitious isn’t okay.
It’s a sign of failure.
But that failure is a good thing if you’re able to learn from it and take it easy on yourself.
If you want long-term sustainable development in any habit, go slow. Be consistent. Do smart work more than hard work. - Prakash Kushwah
Conclusion
Find your proper way.
There’s no one who can tell you how to write perfectly or find success. You’ll have to chalk that plan out for yourself.
I’m still struggling as I fail to remember that I am unique. Then my success recipe also needs to be unique. It can’t be the same!
I trip, stumble and fall. But I’m still holding on to the rope, no matter how much it drags me.
It hurts. I even get frustrated and leave it at times. But I come back to it, as I know that there is no option rather than to just try.
If they say 5 hours, you start with 4, or 3, or if it suits you, then 6!
It’s up to us on what we allow to seep in. Find the proper filter for yourself. The proper way is going to get filtered out on its own.
Keep a close tab on your habits. You’ll automatically find the Proper way.