If you want to write more it may help to make some simple changes to your environment. It all starts with fruit…
Science Daily reports that in one school there was a 58% increase in fresh fruit sales when the fruit was moved from a stainless steel tray into a basket lit by an ordinary desk lamp. In other study, putting the fruit into a colourful bowl increased sales by 104%.
The principle is when you make a choice more attractive it is chosen more often.
In writing, too, there are ways to make the process easier and more enjoyable. If we don’t have much time and we know we’ll have to dig through a pile of papers to find our notes before we can get started actually writing we may well decide to leave it for now…and those “for nows” accumulate and weeks go by without writing.
Here are some ways we could apply the “bowl of fruit” principle to writing:
- have a designated writing space with good lighting
- have a plant nearby (other studies show the positive effects of plants)
- have all the resources you will need within easy reach (I have at least two of everything—scissors, tape, etc.—so if one goes missing there’s another one handy)
- use colourful folders and office supplies, including pens you like
- have your computer files organized for easy access
- have a comfortable writing chair you enjoy sitting in
- if it’s a noisy environment, use noise-cancelling headphones and listen to music or, if that’s distracting, to a white-noise CD
- create a chart on which to measure your progress (number of words written or other measure) and keep it visible
- …and it wouldn’t hurt to keep a colourful bowl of fruit nearby
All of these make the process more enjoyable and remove obstacles.
(For lots more tips on how to write easily and well, see my book, “Your Writing Coach,” published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon and other booksellers.)
