How I made writing a daily habit

[I wrote the following on June 6, 2008 but never posted it. Thought it was still worth sharing.]

One of the most popular posts on this blog is something I wrote two summers ago about overcoming procrastination when it comes to writing. My basic advice was to pressure yourself to write by using contingency management, a technique I first encountered in Robert Boice’s Professors as Writers.

I used contingency management for months and have no doubt that it’s an effective method, but I’ve found something better.

The Seinfeld method, which I’ve written about before, has helped me write at least 850 words each day for the last 157 days, ever since I made the resolution on New Year’s.

I feel like I’ve reached that elusive goal I mentioned at the end of the contingency management post: writing has become like brushing my teeth.

How to do it

1. Get a calendar.

2. Mark a red X for every day that you write – a chain of Xs will form.

3. Don’t break the chain.

Epilogue: After I wrote this I kept the chain going another 33 days for a total of 190. What tripped me up? The baby, of course. Let the record show, however, that I did do my writing on the day she was born.