Hospitals, Writing, and the Pursuit of Improvement
From Appendicitis to Words of Crappiness
Well, there I was three days before Christmas, stuck in the hospital with appendicitis. At least the food is decent, right? (Actually, it was amazing. Shoutout to Brisbane Mater Public) Fortunately, I was not in much pain and the hospital staff have been great. The operation was straightforward, and I was home by Christmas eve and enjoyed Christmas the way it should be - hopped up on painkillers.
As a result of the operation, I can't lift weights for six weeks. But I've been making a habit of going to the gym. I can still get on the treadmill for 30 minutes a day. It's better than nothing, right? Habits are actions you take on autopilot, while goals are things you aim to achieve. Habits are better than goals because they're easier to stick to long-term; they just become part of your daily routine. Goals, on the other hand, require more conscious effort to achieve. But I digress.
However, the best part about being in the hospital is that it's allowed me to do something I've always wanted to try: writing. I know, everyone has a book in them and all that jazz, but I'm actually serious about it this time.
I'm a total amateur, but I'm willing to put in the work to improve. My brother, who majored in English, told me that my first 100,000 words are going to be crap. Great, now I have to write 100,000 words of crap just to get to the good stuff. Oh well, the sooner I can hit that milestone and start improving, the better. Right now, I'm working on a short story and I've written about 1000 words so far. My goal is to get at least 5000 more in the next few days.
Being in the hospital isn't exactly how I imagined spending the days leading up to Christmas, but I made the most of it. I'm grateful to have the chance to work on something that I'm passionate about, and I'm hopeful that with dedication and practice, I'll be able to improve and one day achieve my dream of becoming a successful writer. I know it won't be easy, but creating the daily habits necessary to bring success.
Pick a specific action you want to turn into a habit. Make sure it's something specific and achievable.
Identify the triggers that'll remind you to do the behaviour. These can be external, like a certain time or place, or internal, like a certain emotion or feeling.
Figure out any obstacles that could prevent you from doing the behaviour.
Come up with a plan for overcoming those challenges and sticking with the habit. This might include setting reminders, getting an accountability partner, or finding ways to make the behaviour more enjoyable.
Track your progress and reward yourself for keeping up with the habit. This'll help motivate you to keep going.
Be consistent and patient. It can take time for a behaviour to become a habit, so don't get discouraged if it takes a while. Keep practising and eventually, it'll become automatic.
By following these steps, you can create a blueprint for building new habits and increasing your chances of success