Six 1-Minute Habits To Save Hours Every Week

Being productive is essential for a successful career in writing. 

You may know the story of the Mexican Fisherman. In its 2024 version, if you nail your side hustle of writing, you may one day have enough money to slow down, sit back, and watch the sunset instead of writing about it.

These 6 amazing habits will help you break free from daily distractions, unleash your creative potential, and unlock the life you've always dreamed of.

Stop Planning

"The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry."

 - Robert Burns 

As Roberts Burns said in 1785, making plans is a colossal waste of time. 

That the internet would spring into existence in the 1990s, and quotes wrongly misattributed to Nelson Mandela and Gandhi would spread like wildfire, is obvious today.

But back when Robert Burns was alive, he could never have expected that one good rant would land him on the list of top authors at BrainyQuote.com.

So don't overthink things. Write like no one is reading, and watch your career take off like Douglas Adams !

Action plan:

Alcoholics make big plans when they are drinking, then learn to live one day at a time after they recover.

You are not an alcoholic, so you can do better -  live your life 1 minute at a time.

The minutes will feel like hours, as you wait for something unexpected to happens.

Skip the Gym, and Get Physical 

Have you seen how enthusiastically Italian men gesticulate? (especially the ones from the South)

Look at how thin they are !

This picture shows Gino D'Acampo, celebrity chef and author, exercising.

Gino is a celebrity, and for good reason- he didn't waste time at the gym.

Action plan:

You can't be Gino, but what can you do?

Starting tomorrow:

When your boss asks a question, add expressive arm gestures to your reply. This will help get his attention and burn calories.

When driving, if the car behind you honks, roll down the window and energetically wave your middle finger.

While watching TV, if your sports team misses a goal, get off the sofa and stomp passionately.

You will be living life to the fullest. Not wasting hours in a gym filled with boring equipment and people actively trying not to notice you.

Reclutter Your space

You read that correctly.

Clutter is efficient - everything is at your fingertips.

Think of the time you spend putting things away, and then, taking them back out again. 

Just leave them out.

Additional benefit: When you have visitors, seeing all your possessions on display will speed up the 'getting-to-know-you' process.

Wash the Dishes (or Run the Dishwasher) Once A Week

Henry Ford mastered the art of mass production, and you should too.

Once the sponge is wet, washing 7 dishes is almost the same amount of effort as washing 1 dish. 

Running the dishwasher once a week, is easier than 7 times a week.

A few bugs buzzing around the sink isn't something that Jack Kerouac would have worried about.

Socks

Empty your sock drawer into the garbage, and buy a dozen new pairs of identical socks,

The reason for this is not what you think.

The real issue is that many talented writers, intelligent individuals full of potential, waste their lives writing articles about missing socks. A few examples I found are: I Found The Missing Socks and Whodunit in the Laundry Room.

Think about the blockbuster novels Vasilena and Jamel would have written if they didn't need to write about lost socks.

Don't Make Writing A Habit

Steer clear of the advice you see on Medium to 'write every day'.

It takes a lot of time.

Many talented writers write hundreds of articles, then waste more time writing articles such as, “I can't understand why my last hundred articles weren't published”.

Write only when you have something to say.

Jackson Cunningham wrote one article, received 311,000 likes, and then took 2 years to write the next one.

Spoilers & Me

So, you are an obstinate planner - you have a plan for your life, a schedule for every day of your week…

Why are you not planning your television watching?

Before you begin the next multi-season Netflix series, check the Rotten Tomato score. Don't watch anything below a 90.

If you are an advanced productivity hacker, read the spoilers.

Everyone has watched a television series for months or years, just to be disappointed by the ending. Life is about the journey, but a TV series is about the ending.

The writing muse is not fueled by bad endings.

Scroll To The Bottom, and Push the Like button

If you scrolled down here immediately, you got the point of this article, and didn't have to waste your time reading it-congratulations !

If not, better luck next time.

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Posted of behalf of Howard Bubski, a retired insurance inspector in Racine Wisconsin, who rarely mows his lawn, and uses his time to give strangers on the internet unsolicited advice about politics, religion, and relationships.