Work Ethic and Writing: Advice From Pros

 Improving Work Ethic One Rule At a Time

Sometimes the best way to improve is to take advice from someone else. In this case, I found a blog with some advice for efficiency in work ethic. Could you come up with a different list or add a few additional rules to this one? Probably, but it’s a place to start. It’s also a way to get you thinking about where your weak points are.

You can apply this to any area of life where work is common. It doesn’t have to be your 9 to 5 job. Lately my own work ethic has slipped a little bit on the writing front. It’s only ever been a hobby for me. But it’s increased in importance as my skill has improved. I decided to take the rules from the blog and add my own commentary. It’s an exercise in thinking through what works and what doesn’t on the creative side.

Here is 1-8.

Stop Being Annoyed by Little Frustrations.

Content is one such frustration. Too many times I’ve pushed off writing because I didn’t have anything on my mind to complain about or praise. Really it’s a just an excuse to watch YouTube clips and refresh Telegram every 5 minutes. It’s a frustration in hindsight because the content wasn’t clearly laid out in my head and I had to work for it. But it’s a frustration I’m familiar with, having done this kind of writing for years now.

Build Mental Stamina

I take mental stamina in writing to mean, stick with that conspiracy you imagined where the Department of Agriculture has a department responsible for organ harvesting. It might be a silly diversion but it gets the parts of your brain working that are needed to fill in the gaps on complex ideas. Or, teach yourself to hang in there with an idea longer than normal. If you write for 2 hours at a time, stretch it for an additional 30 minutes. Your brain gets used to thinking deeply for as long as you can force it. Ignore the siren calls to stop early for cookies or Doritos.

Get to Work Before Your Mind Makes Excuses

Excuse making is poisonous in any venture. It's especially easy to make excuses after a full day of work. Writing is a hobby for me and as such doesn't pay. There is a labor of love aspect to it or I wouldn't bother. But even though I love it, starting is tough. I need discipline to get moving. Once I open a Word document and punch in a few sentences, my focus sharpens considerably. It’s like I’ve flipped a switch and am suddenly in writing mode. I’m less likely to look for excuses once the creative side of my brain is activated. Best advice, begin.

Think of Work as Something You ‘Do,’ Not as Something You ‘Get Done’

At first glance this would seem to only apply to money making ventures, but it’s more fundamental than that. Writing is work without the salary. Hopefully one day I'll get paid, but for now it’s a hobby and I’m hoping to change that. What better way then, to assume the position of a writer in control of his craft? When I make the association with myself and my hoped-for position, it becomes the thing I do. I’m a writer. It’s not just mental gymnastics and positive thinking. It’s a necessary kind of accountability for making the next leap from hobby to career.  

Resolve Not to Give in to Distraction

Some people are more limited with their time. As such, they’ve trained themselves to be efficient with less time. As a single man, I’ve got more time than most. Even with more time however, distractions are rampant for everyone. Social media is the biggest one. Whether Facebook or rogerebert.com, each of us has a unique talent to squander free time with silly distractions. If you’re prone to scrolling endlessly and clicking on every Tik Tok video in the feed I’d recommend not even starting. I tend to listen to long form podcasts like the Joe Rogan Experience during dinner. It’s a small miracle when I can hit pause and shift gears into something more creative. But the statement above is more direct, “Resolve”. It’s an exercise in will power.

Connect your Work Toward a Larger Goal of What You Want to Become

Daydreams won’t you get you very far. The first thing you have to have is a substantial body of work. This is probably the most important thing in any creative career. No one gets a record contract from a mediocre single. In order to get great you have to build on subpar. That probably seems obvious, but even talent needs to be refined. Becoming a writer is the larger goal I’m shooting for but the vision is a little murky. How does writing a blog every week get me there? I’m not sure exactly but I’m learning how to convey my ideas, edit and work under timelines.

Develop a Mentality of Persistence and Enthusiasm

Both persistence and enthusiasm are a tough ask in a job that exists for a temporary paycheck. Writing isn’t exactly like that. It’s a skill that gives me a sense of completion like nothing else in life. But even so, laziness persists. The most effective way around the mountain is right through it. For me at least, persistence can become a superpower when I make it a habit. Earlier I mentioned adding 30 minutes to whatever regular time you spend writing. If you persist frequently enough the enthusiasm will follow. Good habits are like that.  

Settle Into a Relaxed, Focused State of Effort

This sounds to me like finding a groove. Grooves are familiar patterns of excellence that you eventually fall into when you’ve done the prep work. I can get into a writing groove after the research is done and the ideas start to form in my head. It’s the opposite of grinding out 700 words on a deadline. It’s fluid and easy, but it only happens after writing warm ups. It’s a lot like taking 50 jump shots before a basketball game to get the right feel. Grooves are more likely when you follow rules 1-7.

Conclusion

Most of these rules fit into a kind of efficiency box. Individually they’re good advice, together they help to improve our skill by a considerable degree. I’ll add one final thought. Efficiency is something that improves exponentially. You don’t keep the same routine for 20 years and become great. Routines get more efficient too. When I started writing I made it a goal to write something, anything really, once a month. After a year it became 3 to 4 times per month and eventually once a week. Soon I was writing at least 500 words a day, 4 days a week. I’ve had a lot of setbacks, but overall I’ve increased my work load.

The details are different for each person and for each discipline. The overall goal is to find a list and start checking off some boxes. Chances are you already know your weaknesses.