9-5 & Online Writer: 7 Principles for Success
I started writing online over a year ago. In that time I have published 100+ essays, shipped a weekly newsletter and grown my Twitter audience. Whilst working as a CEO.
It all comes down to having a system in place that supports both (and that of course includes the people supporting your endeavours!).
1. Investment
Why do you write/create online?
Are you looking to:
change careers
build a side business
just to express yourself?
Answering this is key as it determines the size of your investment: how much time and money are you spending on it?
2. Accountability
It is easy to get inspired to start a side hustle.
But it is even easier to fall off.
Find accountability partners and share your journey with them.
Knowing someone is watching you, is super powerful.
The Nr 1 reason for my consistency is my newsletter.
3. Learning
I found signing up for courses to be incredibly powerful.
Learning alongside others pursuing similar goals to yours is inspiring.
And your fellow students will share new insights from their experience with you.
Plus you find accountability partners here.
4. Deadlines
Set artificial deadlines.
Being a creator online as a side hustle probably means, you could procrastinate forever.
The article will never be perfect, the video never edited to perfection.
But set deadlines at stick to them.
Announce your new piece publicly.
5. Schedule your creator time
If you are serious about creating online, then put time into your calendar for it.
I average 1 hour per day on it.
Staying consistent is key, so create the habit: daily creating.
1hr writing > 1hr consuming.
6. Build a system
I use Notion for my Life OS.
All my to-dos, notes, book highlights, etc are all in here.
I use it for both for my 9-5 as well as for my online writing.
I treat my content like any project at work. Scheduled in, to-dos attached, deadlines set.
7. Listen to the noise
What you start off with creating is not going to be what you end up with.
You are building in public after all.
So create, share it, listen to the noise -> re-assess.
Meet the needs of your audience.
The real fuel is people enjoying your content.
