Steal My Simple Daily Writing System So You Will Never Face Idea Bankruptcy Again

An article from a prolific idea bankrupt

We struggle with life, 9–5, wife, and… writing online.

That is the reality we confront. Any work related to creation is arduous. Online writing is the same.

Think about it.

• You start from a blank page.
• You start from nothing and a darn flashing cursor.
• You get a white page with black alphabets.
• You spit out 800 words.

From a surgical point of view — this is just typing.

But those who have written at least 20 articles will understand the pain of knowledge labor.

It gets magnified when we are scheduled to write and…

… a blank mind awaits.

Yes, That’s Me

I believe in scheduling tasks.

There is a time for everything. Laundry, emails, business, 9–5, investments, market trading, and writing. The worst thing that can happen to me is not working on what I must.

It happens (a lot) when it is time for me to write.

And I don’t believe in random typing to get the writing juices flowing. I mean, it works for others. Not for me.

I need a concrete starting point.

This is what I need to start typing from start to end without taking a pee break.

• A clear topic.
• A draft headline.
• A simple structure of the content flow.

When I have these 3 points anchored in my wannabe writer’s mind — I am in my zone during the scheduled typing time.

I can go from 0 to 800 words within 45 minutes without editing.

It Starts with Ideas

Writing is like our experience with time.

There is no way to experience the 57th second without experiencing the 1st, 3rd, and 7th second.

Writing is the same. There is no way (in my humble opinion) we can get to the conclusion without an existing idea to work on.

And that is the difficult part.

Soliciting ideas.

Not one. Not two. Not three.

We need many. Because draft ideas can cross-pollinate to form concrete expressions of our perspectives.

I get writing ideas from my life exposure.

I work a lot. In fact, I am one of those weirdoes who believe in and have fun working. Every new client I onboard, client engagement workshop I conduct, and acquaintance I meet puts a smile on my face.

I feel alive when I work.

And because I am dialed into my work environment, it becomes easier to grab ideas floating around me. Yes, invisible things become visible.

• I see them.
• I note them in my head.
• I index these ideas into different topics and perspectives.
• I devise high-level headlines to capture what I think.
• Then I write.

This is My Writing Idea Grabbing System

I conducted a 4-hour client workshop yesterday.

In it, I experienced a lifetime’s worth of experiences.

These are the micro-events that happened within 240 minutes.

• An attendee brought an 8-year girl.
• The 8-year-old had a Welsh Corgi beside her.
• The girl got restless, and the dog started barking.
• Attendees got distracted. I did too. That dog got a cute butt.
• The session started 10 minutes late because the dog stole the limelight.
• The attendee right under my nose started snoring 10 minutes into the workshop.
• Team leads started going in and out of the room to deal with operational emergencies.
• Attendees started asking if I could slow down a little.
• Attendees began asking if I could speed up a notch.
• Time for workshop exercise = Walking the dog.
• The girl asked me to explain things again.

These are the notes I scribbled into my journal during the 4-hour circus.

Of course, this situation presents a challenge for me at work.

But for writing? This is brilliant. I’ve got things to work on for next week.

These are the writing ideas that pop into my head as I type.

• Personal — How to deal with distractions when I’m distracted by a dog’s butt?
• Personal — 3 things to note if I must bring a Corgi to work
• Professional — How I’d explain complex ideas to an 8-year-old
• Professional — How I’d manage a workshop-turned-circus?
• Professional — 5 ways to simplify my message so busy people remember

I filled my writing treasure chest with ideas and 5 draft headlines from 4-hours of work. Multi-tasking? Yes, it works in unexpected ways.

We can live one life and share experiences in multiple ways from different angles.

And I believe this when it comes to writing.

Writing is like archery. It is easier to shoot when there is a target. Our ideas are the targets.

There is no lack of ideas. What we need to do is dial in. Writing ideas invade our minds when we engage with our day and environment.

And that… is my simple system for writing online daily.

Have a treasure chest filled with ideas.

Parting Keynotes

Writing, like life, is complex.

There is no need to complicate things further. What we need is to do with what we have.

Our environment nourishes our writer’s mind.

To have a journal filled with writing ideas — I suggest the following.

Get into the moment.

• Observe.
• Laugh at yourself.
• Poke fun of the situation.
• Reflect on the events that capture your attention.

Write them down. Expand on them. Index them into topics.

There you go.

Your fingers are ready to fly.

About the Author:

As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure. Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.

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