6 Rules for Continuing to Output

This is not for those who want to chase page views or make a quick fortune.

You understand the importance of output in your head. But you can't start, you can't keep it up, you feel like you won't be able to keep it up, or you know you can do it if you try but you just don't—for people like that, I, a seasoned (some might say obsessive) veteran who has been writing blogs since around 2000, would like to share a few tips.

1. Do not demand high quality.

The more you read books, the more you realize the low quality of what you write. And you end up wanting to put out polished writing. But that is robbing yourself of opportunities for growth.

If you had started a month ago, you would have learned things by now! You would have gotten better! You mean to tell me you didn't publish anything during that time!? That's like getting worse for a whole month (that might be an exaggeration).

It's natural to be bad at first. You get better little by little because you, as a beginner, publish your work. Starting is what matters. Even if the quality is low, write and publish it first.

I believe the difference between 0 and 1 is greater than the difference between 1 and 10.

In addition, to keep going, you need to make each step incredibly easy. That's why quality is secondary.

2. Do not seek reactions.

Getting a 'like' (or a heart) motivates you. It makes you want to write again. It's nice when a note pop-up says, 'You've been selected for recommendations!' But, but, writing in pursuit of that is the beginning of a sense of loss.

Because as soon as it's gone, you lose your motivation.

If you get a lot of 'likes' and then try to write the next piece aiming for the same, it usually won't go any further. And then you lose your motivation.

And, oh my, the decision you made in '1. Do not demand high quality' ends up being broken.

Let's stop writing just to get 'likes'.

By the way, it is okay to make adjustments while you are writing or after you finish, such as thinking, 'Maybe I should do it this way' or 'Maybe I should promote it this way.'

3. Write as soon as you think of it.

When you think, 'This is a great topic!', that is when it is at its freshest. If you take notes and save them, the freshness fades and they dry out. Even though it had such a rich aroma, it just becomes a mere note.

So, when you think of it, write it then. Put your work aside for a moment (is that okay?), decide on an hour, and just write it.

4. Write things that are fun for you to read back.

Write things that you find fun to read back later. However, there seem to be exceptions to this. It seems some people are better off writing for someone else. In that case, it is said that you should write while imagining one specific person, rather than "many people."

But I am different. I write what I find fun to read back. I write about things that I cannot help but find fun when I think about them.

When I think about reading it later, I feel like, if I don't record what I'm thinking about now, then when will I? If I don't write it now, the freshness will fade. If the freshness fades, I'll never be able to experience it again! Rather than letting that happen, I should write it now.

But perhaps thinking this way is just me and my eccentric nature.

5. Publish immediately after writing. Only write as much as you can publish immediately.

I hear there are many people who write halfway, save it as a draft, and then can't publish it. That is exactly the state of letting the freshness fade.

By all means, try writing only as much as you can within your time limit, and then just publish it as is.

For those who say, "I need time to let it sit so I can be objective," try printing it out and reading it over with a red pen in hand. I think you can become objective enough just by letting it sit overnight (based on my own experience).

Once you've corrected the red marks, hit the publish button.

6. Don't blame yourself if you can't keep writing.

Basically, it seems humans are built in a way that makes it difficult to continue things easily.

After all, if we could just keep going, our 24 hours would keep expanding. So, don't blame yourself for not being able to continue.

You can quit whenever you want, and you can start again whenever you want. If you keep 1 through 5 in mind, you'll be able to start again someday. Keep that kind of mindset.

If you can't face your computer, it's fine to post a single word on your smartphone.

If you aren't good with a smartphone keyboard, it's fine to use voice input.

If you don't even want to do that, it's fine to do a voice broadcast.

You need to experiment to find the perfect way for you to share, but even if you find it, it's normal not to be able to continue. But I think it's fine to feel like, "It might be a little more fun if I could share." Take it lightly.

Explanation of the header image

By the way, the header image is meant to convey the meaning of "outputting as naturally as breathing." This much is fine.

Here is the tweet that this was based on. Please follow me if you'd like!