Summary

The author describes a disciplined routine that enables them to write six articles per week alongside a full-time job, emphasizing the importance of planning, relaxation, and flow.

Abstract

The article outlines a systematic approach to part-time content creation, detailing how the author manages to produce six articles weekly in conjunction with a 9–5 job. The routine begins with evening planning to avoid morning indecision and wasted time. Weekends are reserved for idea generation, leveraging the relaxed state of mind to enhance creativity. The writing process is preceded by a series of personal rituals to mentally prepare for the task. The author stresses the importance of achieving a flow state for efficient and enjoyable writing, and encourages deep thinking and questioning to refine ideas. Influenced by insights from internet legends, the author's writing process is optimized for morning productivity, which they believe is a reflection of their overall lifestyle and mindset.

Opinions

The author believes that a structured morning routine, starting with planning the night before, is crucial for maximizing writing output.
They express that weekends, due to their relaxed nature, are an ideal time for brainstorming and generating article ideas.
Personal pre-writing rituals are seen as essential for the author's success in writing.
The concept of flow is highly valued by the author as it leads to more productive and fulfilling writing sessions.
The author advocates for questioning conventional wisdom, particularly the notion that one must quit a 9–5 job to be truly happy and creative.
They acknowledge the influence of thought leaders and internet personalities on their writing quality and thought process.
The author is a proponent of morning writing as it aligns with their mental peak and allows for a clearer mind.

The Quiet Routine That Produces 6 Articles a Week Alongside My 9–5

What you need to know about writing content part-time

I write for about 12 hours a week.

I realised after doing this for 2 years, that the way to maximise my output and ultimately write better content, I needed to optimise my morning routine.

And a morning routine starts with the night before. Here’s what I do weekly to write 6 articles a week (and most of the time I write a lot more).

Planning the evening before as a rule

If you wake up and have no idea what you’re going to write about you’ll spend the first 20 minutes picking your brains.

Then the pressure will get to you and you’ll start to beat yourself up. Another 10 minutes wasted. Then you’ll turn to Google. Say goodbye to the next 30 minutes of your life.

When you’re on a time limit (thanks to the 9–5) so you don’t have the luxury of relying on your brain to come up with inspired ideas at 6 am. I don’t about you but nothing much coherent is happening in my brain at 6 am.

My mornings would follow the exact steps marked out avoid until I realised that my brain needed stimulus to get going (especially in the morning). And so instead of the blank page, I’d write a game plan. Let’s see how this article started:

1 crappy headline.
4 half-baked subheadings.

The trick is not making it perfect, the trick is getting something down on the page that you can rip apart later. At least that’s how I work best.

Ideate on the weekend when you’re feeling relaxed

Weekends are the best, aren’t they?

No alarm clock, no routine, no rules. Ahhh freedom. It feels amazing. Today I’ve been most productive I’ve been all year because I’m relaxed and have no stress sitting on my little shoulders.

The weekends are my happy place:

Ideas flow.
Starting feels like a piece of cake.
Connecting the dots feels seamless.

When I have space and freedom I get this weird clarity that allows me to unlock my deepest thoughts.

Grab whatever you need before you start

For me, writing must start with a series of activities. Otherwise, I’m destined for failure. What are those things you might ask? Well, I’m glad you did:

Letting my beautiful dogs out.
A big gulp of water.
Steaming hot coffee.

It’s almost like a ritual at this point. Some footballers untie and retie their laces before they start. For me, it’s like that. It’s like I’m psyching myself up for the craft.

It’s weird but it works.

Get in a flow state as quickly as you can

I talk about flow so much it makes me dizzy but it’s such an important concept.

I’m acutely aware of how little we all have on this planet and it’s important for me to spend my time in a way that makes me the happiest. So the idea of whittling time away on insignificance scares me.

Getting lost on Google, falling down the rabbit hole of Twitter or vanishing into Instagram makes me shake in my boots (or slippers).

Flow mitigates this.

When I’m in flow (like I am right now) nothing can stop me. It’s like breathing means writing. Is that weird? I don’t know how to explain it best. It’s like the only thing that makes sense is to write about whatever is spinning around in my head.

When your mind works like that there’s nothing else left to do but write. I’ve been writing on and off since 6:30 am this morning and it’s now 3:53 pm (it’s Saturday). That’s the trouble with flow states, you get completely lost.

Think deeply and question everything

Good writing starts with great ideas.

Great ideas come from thinking and rethinking. It’s incredibly uncommon for me to have a good idea right off the bat. Unfortunately I’m not smart like that. Instead I need to think and then rethink.

The good news is that I’ve built the habit of questioning everything. It’s like my new obsession with working a 9–5 and working a happy side hustle.

For years I’d read articles that told me the way to happiest was to jack in the 9–5 and live happily ever after. I thought that was the answer until I started to realise that maybe there is another way.

Today I believe in a new model. You can have your cake and eat it too.

Eat your words

There are some right legends on the internet. I’ve learned heaps from these people and I feel so lucky.

You’ll be amazed at how your ideas change when you listen to the smartest people of a generation. My ideas, riffs and ponderings are x13 better after I’ve just listened to an insightful conversation.

I write in the mornings because it frees my mind

Mornings for me work.

But my morning is a culmination of the way I think all day. The morning is just the time it comes out onto the page.

Start the night before.
Utilise relaxation.
Get in your flow.
Go deeper.

Everything up until that point though is built to optimise my time writing.

Your life makes your morning routine.

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