Overcome paralysis from past regrets by taking action on desired life changes today, recognizing that your future self will view this moment as a crucial opportunity to alter your path.
Regularly set aside technology to engage in deep self-reflection, assessing your life’s direction, relationships, feelings, mistakes, and achievements, to make deliberate choices about your future path.
Recognize that willpower is a finite resource; become more observant of your current habits and desired direction to strategically apply your will towards pushing in that direction.
Approach large, daunting goals by breaking them down into small, manageable steps, focusing on completing each small step repeatedly, like sailing to the horizon over and over.
Stop procrastinating and just start writing to overcome self-doubt and complete your first novel.
Identify time-consuming habits, like video games, and replace them with productive activities, such as writing, to accumulate significant output over time.
Dedicate one hour each day to writing, and you are guaranteed to complete a novel within a year.
Focus on finishing the first draft without worrying about its quality, as this approach often leads to a better outcome than expected and prevents paralysis.
After completing a rough draft, dedicate one hour daily to editing to transform your novel into a polished work that readers will enjoy.
Write a novel by focusing on one legible paragraph at a time, using your natural voice as if writing an email to a friend, and accumulate these paragraphs into a complete book.
Spend significant time away from the keyboard, engaging in quiet, rote tasks or simply daydreaming, to build out story worlds and characters in your mind before writing.
Make major story decisions, like narrative perspective or tense, and develop your world and characters extensively before starting to write, to avoid getting stuck and abandoning the project.
Refrain from critically editing your writing during the rough draft phase; the primary goal of a rough draft is to reach the end of the story before focusing on polishing.
Avoid comparing your rough drafts to polished, published books, as even great works started as imperfect drafts, which can hinder your progress and confidence.
Join a writing group, either locally or online, to gain diverse perspectives and unique contributions from other writers to improve your process.
Solicit feedback from a variety of people, including family and beta readers, allowing them to highlight what they are good at spotting (e.g., typos, plot holes, confusion) rather than prescribing specific feedback.
Encourage children and students to explore and develop their natural strengths and interests, rather than forcing them into prescribed learning paths, to help them discover and maximize their unique talents.
Begin your writing career by self-publishing to retain maximum freedom and control over your work, allowing you to make all future decisions about your artwork and publishing path.
For authors, strongly consider retaining your ebook rights rather than selling them to a publisher, as they can be highly lucrative and offer more control over pricing and promotion.
In publishing contracts, negotiate for a specific date when rights revert back to you, rather than relying on vague ‘in print’ clauses or sales thresholds, to ensure future control over your work.
Approach publishing contract negotiations with a rational, business-minded perspective, anticipating potential future issues and making decisions as if you were a self-published writer, rather than being swayed by emotion or trust in an editor.
Set ebook prices at a reasonable level (e.g., $2.99-$9.99) to encourage more readers to take a chance on your work, rather than pricing them too high and deterring potential buyers.
Consider offering initial content (e.g., the first part of a series) for free; this can act as a sifting mechanism, encouraging good reviews from those who enjoy it and minimizing negative reviews from those who don’t feel ripped off.
Resist the urge to constantly check daily sales figures, as this cycle can lead to paralyzing despondency during dips and offers only fleeting satisfaction during highs; instead, check statements periodically for income planning.
Continuously question established norms and practices in your field, as this critical thinking can lead to deeper understanding and innovative strategies that even long-standing experts might overlook due to ossified thinking.
Avoid giving worldwide rights to a single publisher; instead, negotiate separate deals for specific territories (e.g., North America, UK, individual foreign countries) to maximize market penetration and revenue.
When dealing with foreign markets, prioritize working with local experts, such as highly respected translators or small, specialized publishers, even if their financial offer is lower, as their reputation and market understanding can lead to greater success.
Prioritize choosing your own editor over accepting one assigned by a publisher, as this allows for a more tailored and potentially more effective editorial process.
Before adopting new technology, critically analyze its potential impact on your life and habits, similar to how tech experts carefully consider its effects, rather than blindly embracing it.
Pay attention to warnings from tech industry insiders who restrict their own children’s use of addictive products, as this indicates potential negative impacts that warrant caution in your own technology use.
While embracing the fascination of technology, remain vigilant about the habits you are forming around its use, as these can have significant, unforeseen impacts on your life.
Periodically engage in ’technology diets’ or periods of disconnection to mitigate the negative effects of constant digital engagement and regain focus.
Regularly disconnect from technology, such as going out of cell phone range, to restore your attention span and improve your ability to engage in long-form activities like reading.