Mundane to Magical | Leveraging Transitions to Shift Into Writing Mode
In my day job, I work in SPED (Special Education). In being in this line of work, I've learned quite a lot. What I've learned especially is the power of transitions. Time to do classwork? There's a specific song. Time to go to snack/lunch/recess? There's a specific song. Time to go home? There's a specific song.
I focus on the songs because, even when my back is turned, as soon as I hear a specific song, I know exactly what to do, where we're going, where to position myself to better assist, etc.
How does this apply to writing?
Sometimes coming to sit down and write right after a long day, you find yourself fighting against your brain to do anything creative. Not being in the mood, as it were. The mental friction switching from work- work to creative work can be frustrating. But by leveraging certain transitions, you might find yourself being able to switch from work mode to creative mode much more quickly, efficiently and consistently.
If you haven't read "The Power of Habit" by Charles Duhigg, I'll give you a brief crash course. Everything we do can be broken down into habits. Every habit has a cue, whether we think about it or not. Every performed habit has a reward, whether we think of it as a reward or not. The more the habit is executed, the harder it will be to change later.
For example, and I'm going to use a personal example here, I come to sit at my desk. [The cue] I pull out my phone to find my time tracking app. [The habit] I go on Xiaohongshu/YouTube/Tumblr/Pinterest for the time I meant to spend on writing. [The reward]
Now that I know my cue, what type of behavior it triggers, and what I seem to value as a reward, how can I change this to create a consistent writing habit instead? Here's what I'm working on.
Turning on time tracking app and leaving my phone in a drawer [The cue]. Sitting at my desk with a pen and notebook [The habit]. Writing with pen and notebook for whatever time allotted [The reward].
In my new routine, I'm removing my distractions and training my brain to associate writing as a reward knowing that by the end of a session I'll feel accomplished. While I do have an extra rewards list, I make sure the only items are things I can immediately afford. Going into debt isn't very rewarding. Or things that immediately make me feel good. Like a walk around the neighborhood, an extra cup of tea, an extra hour of video games.
Here's your homework. โฌ (โขแดโข)
Find a 1 min to 5 min activity to incorporate as a "transition ritual" to shift your focus from work-work to creative work. It can be something you already do [sit at your desk] or something new [lighting a candle]. From here on out, every time you meet that cue, perform a writing habit. [Write for 20 minutes, write 100 words, finish an chapter outline/character sheet/dialogue, etc.] After the habit is performed, reward yourself immediately. We're not Pavlov's dogs, okay? Just give us the damn treat. Repeat on a daily or scheduled basis.
By building, or re-building, your habits around writing, you are training yourself to associate these little activities with entering a creative state of mind. Which means giving yourself more time to write in the long run.
Hope this helps! Happy writing! โ๏ธ๏ธโกโ
