Struggling with Making Writing a Habit? Clarify Your Identity

According to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, if you root your habits in your identity, you are much more likely to see positive results. This concept is very applicable to writing.

SSometimes, I think I'm the worst writer in the history of writers.

Not because my writing is bad (I think it's kind of good), but because sometimes I just don't even want to write. I will go months, on occasion, without writing any of my stories (though I do produce a weekly newsletter, so I'm not a complete failure). It bugs me to no end that I'm a writer who hates writing.

Recently, I read a fantasy novel that super inspired me to keep working on one of my own fantasy novel ideas. I closed the book, settled my emotions because it was a cliffhanger and I didn't have the sequel, and then ran to my computer. I pulled up my document and sat down to type.

And then nothing came to mind. But it wasn't just a case of writer's block. It was a complete lack of motivation. I remember thinking to myself, "Ugh, do I have to do this?" And since I'm not under a deadline, I really didn't have to. So I moved on to something else.

Luckily for me, the next book I'd pick up would give me a piece of advice that would revolutionize my writing.

The book that showed me a new way

After fiction, I turned to non-fiction, which is usually how I do it. I started reading "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, which has been on my to-read list for a while. Now I’m finally getting to it.

Clear talks about many ways to build good habits—he has a whole robust system. But one chapter stood out. In this section, Clear argued that while setting good goals and establishing good processes are important, what really can change how we create good habits is establishing our IDENTITY in a way that is associated with the habit we want.

His habit-formation trick is something like the opposite decision-making formula of The Office's Dwight Schrute. In one episode, Dwight considers whether an “idiot” would do something he’s about to do, and if he determines an idiot would do it, Dwight decides not to do the thing. Not bad advice, actually.

But Clear presents it positively, which I think makes it more powerful for decision-making and habit formation. He suggests we consider what kind of person we want to be, and then ask what that kind of person would do in a situation. It's not about what not to do, but about realizing we already know what to do based on the values we hold.

I first applied this to my eating habits. When faced with a food-related decision, I asked myself: “Would a healthy person (who I want to be) get a refill of Dr. Pepper?” Probably not. “Would a healthy person eat a salad or fried chicken?” Unfortunately, probably the salad. “Would a healthy person pass on going out to eat when he already did so twice this week?” Yeah, I guess he would pass…

It's a somewhat silly trick of the mind, but it works. Instead of just setting a goal (i.e., I want to write a book), go deeper; determine who you want to be (i.e., a writer!). This transforms our behavior because we as humans are ultimately driven by whys.

“Motivation” isn’t a set of alleles in our DNA—it's not like some people just draw the short end of the stick and can't get motivated to write or something like that. No, motivation comes down to why. If we have a powerful why, if we have a firm grasp on our self-created identity (who we are and who we want to become), then we can find that motivation. We can draw it out of ourselves.

“The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It's one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this.”

― James Clear, Atomic Habits

It's not just wishful thinking. It’s willful thinking. It’s forcing us to conceive of ourselves in a certain way and then mold our choices to fit that. It focuses on internal motivation and not just on a set of behaviors we can take or leave.

To put it in Christian terms, it’s not unlike asking “What would Jesus do?” and then doing that thing that Jesus would do. Christians start by thinking about who we want to be (Jesus is always the answer) and then extrapolating our behavior from there.

How this helps with writing

So, back to writing.

What happens if you and I sit down at our computers and are faced with the desire not to write? Well, if we have decided we want our identity to include “writer,” then we can ask: “Would a writer be writing?”

Yes.

“Would a writer give up when it gets hard?”

No.

“Should I be writing something during this time I set aside to write?”

Yes, sir/ma'am.

Certainly, we can go overboard. We don't need to place impossible expectations on ourselves. “Does a writer write 24/7 with no breaks?” Well, they shouldn't. Hopefully, you don't have the mistaken notion that this is what writers do. Be realistic for where you are and what you need.

When it comes to my identity as a healthy person, I’ve defined it so that this healthy person also can eat fun stuff sometimes. Sure, I could go gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, taste-free—the whole nine yards. But I’ve tried those kinds of diets. Jumping right into that craziness doesn’t work because I relapse three days later. So I’m taking baby steps, still eating dessert and that kind of thing. But I’m saying “No” to seconds. Because that’s what a healthy person would do.

You can tweak your self-talk to help clarify your expectations as a writer. You get to write the definition here.

“Does a writer set aside time to write?” Yes, they do. Now you get to decide how much time you want to set aside, when that time should be, where it should take place, etc. That's in your wheelhouse to figure out.

Remember, though, there’s no such thing as a “true writer.” Don't strive to be exactly like Hemingway, Sanderson, Shelley, or especially Doberenz! Just be the writer you want to be. You can decide what makes up your Writing Identity. But once you decide that, stick to your guns. If your identity is so wishy-washy and flexible, it’s not going to be helpful in the formation of good habits or in decision-making.

Who do you want to be?

“You have the power to change your beliefs about yourself. Your identity is not set in stone. You have a choice in every moment. You can choose the identity you want to reinforce today with the habits you choose today.”
― James Clear, Atomic Habits

The choice is yours.

Who do you want to be?

This process has helped me already in my writing. And I bet it can help you! You CAN build positive writing habits with this simple trick. Keep your identity in mind. It’s a stronger motivator than even setting some goals (goals we can change, back out of, or quit on—much hard to do those things with our identity). Start from within, and your behavior will shape up to keep up.

Be a writer. Do the writer thing.

As cheesy as it is, you already have what it takes to become a writer. It’s been inside of you the whole time.

Now it’s time to unleash it.

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P.S. Obviously, I recommend the book Atomic Habits [This is an affiliate link for Amazon—which means if you purchase through this link I get a small commission]. It’s a very easy read, has short chapters that end with bullet point summaries, and the whole thing is filled with actionable tips and details on how to build your own plan to start good habits and end bad ones. For anyone who wants to get their life under control, pick it up.