Summary

The author prioritizes reading and supporting other writers' work in the first two hours of the day, finding it beneficial for personal creativity and community engagement.

Abstract

The article discusses the importance of how one spends the first two hours of the day, emphasizing that it doesn't necessarily have to be focused on personal goals. The author, a writer, admits to not adhering to the common aspiration of early morning writing but instead dedicates this time to reading the work of other writers. This routine, which includes enjoying a cup of coffee and reading without interruptions, is described as a journey through the words of others, providing inspiration and acknowledgment to fellow writers. The author values the writing community and believes that supporting others' work is crucial for mutual success. By engaging with other writers' content, the author discovers valuable insights, such as a piece of writing advice that stood out as particularly useful. The article concludes with the notion that reading and writing are symbiotic and that dedicating time to read others' work is a way to contribute to the community and foster one's own creativity.

Opinions

The author admires the early morning writing routine of copywriter Ash Ambirge but finds it challenging to replicate for personal writing.
The author places significant value on giving back to the writing community by dedicating the start of the day to reading and engaging with others' work.
There is a belief that investing time in other writers' endeavors can lead to serendipitous moments and ideas for one's own writing.
The author views the first two hours of the day as a crucial period for nurturing creativity and community, even if it's not spent on personal writing projects.
The article suggests that the success of writers is interdependent, highlighting the importance of reading as much as writing.
The author finds most writing advice repetitive but shares an instance where they came across a particularly valuable piece of advice by chance while reading other writers' work.
The author encourages readers to subscribe to their newsletter, offering it as a way to maintain a connection with those who appreciate their work.

How You Spend the First Two Hours of Your Day Matters

Even if it’s not all about you and your goals

As a writer I’ve always had that early morning writer’s fantasy. Many of us have heard about this delusion. The one where we spring out of bed fully inspired, open our laptops, and bang out a magnificent story to bless our readers with that day.

An accomplished copywriter I’ve been following for many years lived out this fantasy. Ash Ambirge set a goal to write her first book and she smashed it by waking up at 5:30 every day to write. It worked for her and she recently published her book.

The early morning writing routine is such a grand and worthwhile gesture but I have yet to pull it off. Although writing a book has never been a goal of mine, I can’t even seem to write an article in the mornings. The best I have achieved is to get in front of my laptop by 9am.

So where do the first couple of hours of my day disappear to?

The answer is easy. I kindly dedicate my first cup of coffee and the first part of each day to other writers. In my fantasy world, giving back is just as important as nurturing my own goals.

Each one of us may have our daily routines carved out. Whether in the real world (pre-isolation) or in our current state, my routine hasn’t changed. I love using the first part of each morning to go on a journey through the words of others.

I sit on the corner of my chaise where I can see the sun coming up, and delve into scenarios that other writers have carefully put together for my enjoyment.

Before social media and email, I choose to get lost in a sea of links, words, paragraphs, and titles. Many of them pique my interest and before I know it, it’s been a couple of hours and a couple of coffees invested.

These first two hours of my day matter, even if they aren’t dedicated to my own endeavors. I realize we all invest a significant amount of time and effort into our own works and each of us deserve to reap some type of reward, even if it comes in the form of simple acknowledgement.

I see your stories and I appreciate them. I can run through between ten and twenty pieces in the silence and relaxation of my mornings. I allow myself to be uninterrupted by pings, notifications, stats, and obligations. My phone is usually set on “do not disturb” for a number of hours each day.

While I would like to dedicate my morning hours to myself and my own goals I realize the importance of the writing community. I know that I’m highly unlikely to set aside time at any other point in the day, because once the wheels are in motion, there’s no turning back.

I’m the type of writer who needs uninterrupted chunks of time to piece together something worthwhile. I need hours and sometimes days to pinpoint and cultivate an idea I’d like to write about.

I’m certainly no ‘crazy machine’ like P.G. Barnett who can pump out more stories than there are days in a week.

But by dedicating my first hours in each day to supporting other writers I’m able to dig up some absolute gems. Today the hidden treasure I found was Emme Beckett offering the most useful piece of writing advice I’ve ever stumbled onto.

How to Generate 30 Writing Ideas in 5 Minutes

Even when the tank feels empty, there is always something to write about

medium.com

I rarely go deep into writing advice because I find they’re pretty much the same messages over and over, with only the words rearranged. So the fact that I even clicked into her article was pure happenstance, but it was exactly what I needed in that moment.

By dedicating my time to support other writers, in turn I’m cultivating my own creativity. Investing myself into your goals of being discovered and read, often creates fortuitous moments and ideas for myself, that would have not happened otherwise.

It’s a win/win for me.

I understand each of us functions differently and your morning routine is yours. I also understand that it is community that has made me successful on this platform. I’ve found so much fulfillment on this journey over the past year.

Recently I wrote a humor piece on the subject of ignoring our readers. Sarcasm is just one of the many services I offer but there’s always an element of truth behind it.

None of us would be successful without each other, that is a fact. Reading and writing is a symbiotic relationship. If no one read no one would write, and vice versa.

This is why the first two hours of my day matter to many of you. It’s also why any two hours of your day could matter tremendously to others.

If you enjoyed this story, here’s my non-intrusive way of ushering you toward my newsletter. When you subscribe, I’ll know you’re cool with hearing from me once in a while.