Summary

The author emphasizes the importance of honesty in writing, advocating for abandoning forced content in favor of more authentic and enjoyable pieces.

Abstract

The author shares a personal revelation regarding their writing process, where they've begun to delete entire articles if the writing feels inauthentic or forced. This approach stems from the belief that if the writing isn't enjoyable for the writer, it's unlikely to be enjoyable for the reader. The author has adopted a more ruthless and decisive method, discarding work that lacks flow or quality, and starting anew to ensure a better reading experience. Drawing inspiration from entrepreneur Dan Peña, the author highlights the value of knowing when to persist with a project and when to cut losses and move on, a principle that can be applied beyond writing to various aspects of life.

Opinions

The author believes that enjoyable writing leads to a better reading experience.
Forced writing results in long-winded, unenjoyable content for both the writer and the reader.
It's important to be decisive and recognize when to abandon a project that isn't working.
The author has shifted from trying to salvage every piece to a more ruthless approach of discarding subpar work.
The author quotes Dan Peña on the importance of being quick to take action and to pull the plug on non-viable projects.
This new approach is part of the author's broader strategy to increase productivity and achieve writing goals.

Be Honest With Yourself When You Write

If you find yourself having to force the words onto the page, it’s probably not going to be an enjoyable experience for the reader either.

Something has happened to me as of late that has never happened before and it’s all to do with my writing methods.

Over the past few days, as I strive to get myself back on track with my writing and out of this procrastination slump that I’ve been experiencing, something strange yet refreshing has been occurring.

On multiple occasions, I’ve found myself stopping halfway through a piece, clicking on the settings button and deleting the entire article without a second thought.

Sometimes after spending an hour or more working on it.

And the reason for this erratic behaviour?

The words weren’t coming easily and there were paragraphs of rambling, long-winded nonsense. So I binned the lot.

My thoughts being, “If this isn’t enjoyable to write then it sure as hell ain't gonna be enjoyable to read it?”

In the past, I would have persevered, tried to find a better way to get my points cross, kept going until the piece was semi-decent and I could convince myself that perhaps someone would enjoy it.

But nowadays, I’ve opted for a more ruthless approach.

If it’s not working then it’s gone.

Move on to something else and start again.

By no means does that guarantee the next piece to be a mindblowing read but at least it won't be a slog to write which should hopefully make for a better read.

“Be quick to pull the trigger both in taking action and in pulling the plug.” — Dan Peña

When you have time and effort invested in a project it can be hard to admit when it’s just not working.

You may want to keep pushing on with the hope that you can pull things around.

And there are times when that is the right thing to do. But not always.

While listening to a Dan Peña interview on LondonReal something that he said really caught my attention.

When asked about work ethic and the secrets to his success, he replied with, “I’m quick to pull the trigger and take action. Which also means being quick to pull the plug on something that isn’t working.” (An indirect quote, not word for word)

We are all guilty of not pulling the plug quick enough on something that isn’t working.

Whether it be a piece of writing, a project we’ve been a part of or maybe even a relationship.

There are times when it’s hard to let go.

As I aim to get myself back on track with my writing and increase productivity levels I’ve decided that it’s time to be honest with myself in the approach.

No more forcing words on to the page and hoping that it will work out in the end and no more indecisiveness.

If there is no flow and the piece just ain’t good enough then it’s on to the next one. No more messing around.

Nows the time to pull the trigger, take action and start making moves towards achieving goals.

Thank you for reading, now let's get after it!