Rerun

This week's video is a rerun. It is one of the least watched of all the videos and I am not sure why. It's actually one of my personal favourites.

I've got about four weeks left in this first, somewhat informal, 17-week plan. After the summer, I am going to work on an even more explicit regimen up to Christmas. I know that my work is starting to look suspiciously like motivational speaking or business coaching. Every time I look into that analogy, the similarities just become more striking.

It turns out, for example, that the 16 Week Challenge is already a reality show. Its creator, Andrew Morrison, described it as follows:

I’ve worked with thousands of people from Hawaii to West Africa. The one thing I’ve discovered is that we all have ideas but very few of us are taking the necessary steps to put these ideas into action. This show will inspire others to start manifesting their dreams despite the lack of money, knowledge or connections. Now you can sit back and learn the insider secrets to turning your ideas into cash.

Well, I have worked with dozens of people from Iceland to Denmark. The one thing I've discovered is that we all have ideas but very few of us are taking the necessary steps to put these ideas into writing. This blog hopefully inspires others to start articulating what they know despite the lack of time, inspiration, or recognition. Now you can sit back and learn the insider secrets of turning your ideas into journal articles.

The key here is the phrase "taking the necessary steps"—in fact, the key is the single word "steps". In my experience, the greatest barrier to becoming a successful academic writer is the reluctance to approach the writing process as a series of steps, each of which can be taken without much thought or drive. Planning that process (and its product) does, of course, take some thought. And sticking to the plan takes a certain amount of drive. But, after they have been planned, the individual steps are something you just "do". (There is no "try".)

There will be a new video and more musings about process and usage next week. Until then, keep searching ... and keep writing.