Being a Productive Writer is Easy When You Know How

A few days ago I saw an ad for a productivity journal which said that all you had to do to be more productive was to write your daily goals in your productivity journal (and the journal wasn't cheap).

That reminded me of the old Ivy Lee method of using what he called 'The Success Six.' 

This system was so simple yet apparently so effective and consisted of, at the end of each day writing down the six most important things you had to do the next day and then number them in the order of their importance.

In 1918 Charles M Schwab who was then the president of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, was told this by Ivy Lee as a way to increase the efficiency of his team.

He also told him of the importance of only working on one task at a time and ignoring all the rest. Just do one thing and then move onto the next.

This seems stupidly simple, doesn't it? But it actually works like a dream.

It's also cheaper than buying an expensive journal.

I buy a cheap diary every year and I use the Ivy Lee method of making it a habit that the last thing I do every day when I've finished writing, is to write down everything I have to do the next day (or several days ahead so that I don't forget anything). And it's not just writing projects that I write down. I write everything, which makes it really easy to get started the next morning because I know exactly what to do first.

And this way I don't need to multi-task which also helps my crazy little monkey-mind to focus more.

So if you're looking for a way to get more done, just try it for yourself.

Mission Critical For Life:

Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCFL.html

Wanting to Be a Writer Yet Not Writing

"Success doesn't come from what you do occasionally. It comes from what you do consistently." 

    ~ Marie Forleo

So many people who read my blog say they want to write yet never start. It just doesn't seem to be on their to-do list ever.

I give so much information and direct links to courses and books and ebooks as well as give away free ebooks, all of which can be used to start writing and publishing immediately.

Many people do actually click through to see what's on offer, but so few download anything and make a start.

So I have to ask... if you want to be a writer yet no matter what's on offer you never write or even do one thing to begin, do you really want to be a writer?

It's irrational and illogical to always say you want to write but never do it.

The same goes with wanting to earn more but never putting in the extra effort to do anything about it.

So, do you want to write and earn more or are you lying to yourself?

Go to my website at https://ruthiswriting.com/books.html and see how much writing you SHOULD be doing.

Remember, those books and articles aren't going to write themselves no matter how much you'd like them to.

It’s a Facebooking Time Suck

It’s funny how smart phones can be a waste of time (because of all our time that they waste) yet we daren’t go anywhere without one.

But having a phone always to hand doesn’t mean that we have to use it all the time or have notifications turned on so that every ding or other noise disrupts us.

Likewise, Facebook is a waste of time and it’s mostly anti-social which is the complete opposite of what it’s supposed to be so it can be a dark and depressing place to be - it was for me. And I have it on good authority that these days teenagers prefer Instagram because it’s a much happier place to be.

A couple of years ago, I closed my Facebook account that I’d had for only 3 years, but I’d had enough of just how really sh*tty people could be to each other, and it’s not something that I want to waste my time on.

At first I thought I’d miss it and miss out on keeping up with family and local gossip. But instead, I wish I’d closed it sooner because I had no idea how much time I wasted on it (sometimes I thought it was only minutes but it was actually up to an hour), not to mention the peace of mind it gave me once I no longer had Facebook on my phone or computer.

It was like my mind and my life had been set free. I’d never realised how depressing all the Facebook dramas could be. And it was usually the men who were the most bitchy.

But with my attention free, I had more ideas, wrote more, had more leisure time, and used my new-found time to study marketing which helped improve my book sales.

The problem with getting sucked into the vortex of anti-social media, is that it drags you down, and keeps you away from things that are actually important.

Spending time on Facebook made me forget my real mission in life, but now I’m back on track and loving it.

Mission Critical For Life
Start Living Life On Your Terms By Pursuing Your True Life Mission
https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCFL.html

Write More While Getting Other Things Done

It’s common to think that you don’t have time to write if you have a lot of other things to do every day. Yet this is how bloggers earn their money from writing while being busy doing other things.

The way they do it is by writing about what they do. And it can be just about anything:

• Exercising 
• Cooking
• Gardening
• Parenting 
• Saving money
• Knitting
• Woodwork
• Reading books
• Your life in general

And there’s no doubt that there’s plenty of things you do in a day that you could write about on a blog, that can be done simply as an online diary or journal. I know of one blogger who blogs daily about how she lives a sedentary life and spends little money.

When you blog about what you do, not only is it a way to earn money, but it also makes you do more so that you have something to write about.

Not only that, but it makes you look at what you do in a different way, more deeply, because you have to have a good understanding of what you do so that you can explain it to other people. You need to tell them not only what you did, but why.

Why did you plant that so deep? Why did you add that herb to your cooking? Why did you use that tool? Why didn’t you like that book?

Blogging about something that you enjoy doing, not only helps you to do more, but can earn you money.

Living The Laptop Lifestyle

How To Start & Grow A Profitable Online Business So You Can Quit Your Job

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/LLS.html

An automatic way to make yourself write more

One thing that always confused me is why, when I love to write, is it so damn hard to sit down and do it?

Some days I’m on fire and can’t wait to sit down and start writing. Yet other days, I mess around doing unnecessary chores just to avoid sitting down and writing. This went on for years until I figured out what to do about it.

So do you know how I overcame my reluctance to sitting down and writing?
Well, it’s three-fold.

1. I have to actually sit down. No writing will get done unless I sit down. It’s no good waiting for motivation or inspiration to strike because that won’t happen until I start writing. So sitting down always has to be the first step no matter whether I feel like writing or not.
2. Focus. I have to only think about writing and nothing else. I mustn’t surf online or waste time checking emails or staring outage window or wonder what to make for dinner later or think about a phone call I need to make.
3. Cut out distractions. I have to make sure that I keep my focus by helping to cut out any distractions like hearing dogs barking or cars pulling up and wondering who it is. I also use audios like Brain Salon (https://ruthiswriting.com/links/brainsalondemo.html) to help keep my monkey-mind quiet and focused.

These are the three most important things that help me to write more and earn more.

I have to sit down, stay focused, and not get distracted.

Writing is a solitary occupation and not everyone can do it. Working from home always sounds so easy but it’s not. That’s why we all need to practice self-discipline and focus.

Brain Salon
For peak creativity, razor-sharp focus, and deep sleep.
Download a FREE demo.
https://ruthiswriting.com/links/brainsalondemo.html

Why It’s So Hard To Sit Down and Write

A few days ago I was talking to my daughter (who is also a writer) and we were discussing why it’s so hard to sit down and write.

At the same time we both agreed the once we do sit down and get into the ‘flow’ of writing, we could write forever and often lose track of time and sometimes we look up and wonder why it’s dark, and realise that we’ve been working for so long, and have been so focused that the sun went down and we didn’t even notice.

So why is it so difficult to sit down and write in the first place?

We realised, in our wisdom (and we are both oh so wise), that it’s because of the complete solitary nature of writing because it needs total and complete focus.

Whenever I’m doing other things, I don’t need the focus that I have to have when I’m writing.So when I’m doing other things, like gardening, cleaning, ironing, cooking sewing, etc, I can also do other things at the same time like daydream, listen to audios, watch TV or have a conversation with someone.

But when I’m writing, that’s ALL I can do which means kissing goodbye to everything else, because even a small distraction can throw off my concentration and I can lose my train of thought. This is what makes writing such an isolating profession which many people find too difficult, but it suits my personality because I’m happy in my own company.

Having said that, it’s still hard to actually sit down and start writing, which is when procrastination becomes a problem. I solve this by listening to audios that help me to focus.

I listen to the Brain Evolution System when I’m not writing because it calms my monkey-mind and helps me to think and to get more done.

I also listen to Brain Salon while I am writing, to block out other distracting noises and to help me to focus at the same time.

That’s what works for me (I’ve been using these audios for years) and they may help you too.Download free demos of both and see the difference it makes.

You may as well try it. It costs nothing to try, so you’ve got nothing to lose, and if it works for you, it can make the world of difference to how much more you can write.

https://ruthiswriting.com/links/brainev.html

https://ruthiswriting.com/links/brainsalondemo.html

15 Minutes of Daily Focus is All it Takes

The word focus is talked about a lot these days and the reason is because it’s so, so important.

Personally, I find that when my focus is strong I can achieve so much. And it doesn’t matter what I’m doing, whether it’s washing the dishes, weeding the garden, or cleaning the car. All I do is concentrate ‘in the moment’ on whatever I’m doing which might be washing a cup, pulling up a dandelion, or cleaning the windscreen of the car. I just concentrate purely on just one thing at a time.

There’s a Zen saying that no matter how many dirty dishes you have, you only actually have one dish to wash, ever. Once you realise this, washing the dishes no longer seems like a chore to be dreaded. It also becomes so much easier to do other things too, moment by moment.

And I find that using focus in everything works with my writing too. It makes it easier and pleasant to do.

But how can you gain focus in everything?

Just like all things, you get there step-by-step.

So begin with 15 minutes a day of focus on one thing. Simply spend 15 minutes focusing moment-by-moment on one task, thinking of nothing else except what you doing, and not allowing your mind to wander. It can be anything you want to do:

• Weeding
• Organising/cleaning
• Business planning
• Tending the laundry
• Vacuuming
• Polishing the furniture

Just 15 minutes a day doing one task with nothing else occupying your attention.

And once you try it, you’ll notice that not only can you do things more thoroughly, but it will seem easy. You’ll also be amazed at how much you can get done in just 15 short minutes.

To get started quickly, download a free 15 minute audio of Nitrofocus, to help you with timing and focus.

It really is quite amazing what a difference just 15 minutes of focus can make.

Read more about focus and how it can help with everything in your life, especially your writing and productivity at https://ruthiswriting.com/articles/2020/focus-on-everything.html

My Writing Goals and Coronavirus

Everywhere I go these days there is some self-proclaimed Coronavirus "expert" gabbing on and on about what I "should" be doing during these highly infectious times.

But do you know what I AM doing?

I'm getting more writing done. I'm quite the 'shut-in' person anyway so I've topped up my essential groceries and household items to last me at least a month (which isn't much anyway because I'm extremely frugal), and now I'm self-isolating, even though I'm not ill. I just want to write more.

So while others are wasting their time panicking about Coronavirus, talking non-stop about it and freaking out about it (none of which helps anyway), I'm using this time to write.

And the best thing is that others are so worried about face-to-face contact that they're leaving me alone more than usual, which is something I always encourage anyway.

So now I'm sitting in total peace and doing what I want to do, which is to write more and read more.

I already have a stack of books waiting to be read so now I've finally got the time to read them as well as do more writing.

So while you still have your good health, use your time wisely and write more.

Make a start by signing up for my blog posts and you'll also be one of the first to know about every article I write on my other site too as well as all my free offers.

So many have already signed up so don't miss out.

Click the link in the sidebar to get started.

This Free eBook Will Help You Write More And Earn More

It's been a crappy week (or closer to fortnight really) for me regarding my online business.

It all started a couple of weeks ago when my computer kept shutting down for what seemed like no apparent reason and would then refuse to start again, and sometimes when it did, it would soon crash again.

I was just staring at the black screen of death for hours trying everything I could to get my computer to restart.

I used my other computer, my Mac Book Air, to Google the problem and find different ways to deal with it, but alas, it was no good.

So with a heavy heart I took it to the local Apple store and left it there for what I thought would be only a day or two. But that turned into over a week because they had to order a part which, they told me, was delayed in arriving because of the Corona Virus outbreak. Thankfully, so far, that is the only way this virus has touched my life.

But I had no way to publish anything apart from a couple of posts on this blog that I did via my other computer. I couldn't check my emails or anything else. But at least I could still write. Thankfully, my new novel I'm writing, I've been typing up (I handwrite my books) on my other computer which I still had. So I got plenty of writing done, but not much else.

Now my computer is back and I've been busy writing again. And I've got so much more planned

So if you want to take your writing to the next level, sign up now using the email link in the sidebar and get the free ebook, Writing For Cash.

It doesn't matter what kind of writing you want to do whether it's writing books, ebooks, articles, magazine articles, novels, short stories, blog posts, and more. I reckon I've got you covered.

And when you visit my writing website, you'll also notice the new and improved design.

You see, I really have been busy because I'm serious about helping you to write more and earn more.

It's free to sign up and learn how to write more, so you've got nothing to lose and so much writing to do.

And it all starts right now.

https://ruthiswriting.com

Why I'm Like Jackie Collins When It Comes to Writing Novels

This month I'm working on my new novel, which is going to be a really great book because even I'm finding the story fascinating and I know how it ends. :)

The problem though is that I've outlined it by hand (dozens of pages) but I've been writing the manuscript itself straight onto the computer. And this is a problem because I'm finding that working this way is stifling my creativity.

Usually, I much prefer writing by hand and typing things up later. But I thought it would be better to write this book straight onto the computer because it's a long book (hundreds of pages), so time is of the essence.

There has always been a big debate amongst writers as to whether it's better to write books by hand or straight to keyboard. And what I've found is that it's entirely up to each individual writer. Although the 'experts' have said, that from studies that have been done, most writers are more creative when writing by hand and also, that handwriting notes while studying, helps students to retain more knowledge than when they type their notes straight onto their computers. So according to the hex-purts, handwriting always wins over typing straight to the keyboard.

And this can be substantiated when you see authors like Jackie Collins who has a complete collection of her books in handwritten volumes. I was amazed when I saw it in a TV interview with her once. Apparently, she handwrote all her books (and she's written many) and had those handwritten pages made into a beautiful collection of huge, leather-bound books.

In an interview with her in the L A Times, what they said about her handwritten tomes was, "They’re handwritten on legal pads—she doesn’t type— and, on occasion, the spelling is a little shaky, not that she gives a damn." And when asked what she writes with she said,  "It must be black felt pens. Or blue felt pens. And white typing paper or yellow legal pads. There’s no other way."

You can read more about Jackie's writing life in another interview at https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/09/jackie-collins-hollywood-mansion.

So getting back to my own book, although I enjoyed creating the outline by hand, I then found that not only was typing the manuscript creatively stifling, but also (and this is the worst) I kept procrastinating and not WANTING to write because I was not enjoying it. So I was writing less.

All of which helped me to make up my mind about how to write it and that was to go back to handwriting because, ironically, my reason for wanting to type it instead was because I thought it would be quicker. It takes me a lot longer to write things by hand than to type them because I'm a pretty fast typist (I learned touch-typing years ago at school).

But the reality is that it's actually faster for me to handwrite my manuscript because although the initial writing takes longer, I find I write more often and for much longer when I'm sat working with a notebook and pen. Plus I can work anywhere without needing to drag my computer along with me.

So for me, handwriting wins hands down because although I feel like it's taking me longer to write, the fact that I write so much less when I have to type it instead means that I'm actually writing less, not more. So trying to do it faster is completely defeating the object.

And what takes me two or three hours to write, takes me only 30 minutes or less to type up because I can type so fast.

And, most importantly, now that I'm back to handwriting my manuscript, I'm enjoying writing again and I WANT to sit and down and write whereas before, I had to force myself to do it so I was procrastinating instead of writing.

So no matter whether it's faster to handwrite or to type, at least when I'm writing by hand, I'm actually writing.

Watch the short (2 minute) video below for a bit of Jackie Collins' inspirational writing advice.

Enjoy.

This Simple Change Doubled My Writing Output

They say that the only reason we work 8 hours a day at our job is because they give us 8 hours to do our work. But the truth is that most people could get their work done it half the time, but because we’re given 8 hours, we stretch it out to fit the time.

And it’s the same with writing.

It’s no good telling yourself that you have to sit and write for 8 hours a day if you don’t need to.

Why sit at your computer all day when you could be doing other things?

If you spend more time than you need sitting in front of your computer every day, you’ll just waste time surfing the internet and checking your Facebook account.

I suffered from this lack of productivity problem for a long time.

Then I read a really interesting book called 2,000 to 10,000: How to write better, write faster and write more of what you love.

And the way the author went from writing 2,000 words a day to 10,000 was easy. She went out to do it.

So I did the same. I’d often worked away from home before but never all the time.

And what I always found was that while I was somewhere else I wasn’t distracted by anything.

Most of the time when I write away from home, I have no internet connection, which is a good thing.

Even if I’m working somewhere that’s noisy it doesn’t matter. As long as I don’t have anyone wanting my attention, I can just get on with my writing.

And because I look so busy, even people who know me don’t interrupt me, which I’m always glad about because it can really disrupt my flow of concentration.

I can work in the library or at a local park. Sometimes I drive to a nearby lookout because I’m unlikely to run into friends there, and it has covered picnic tables and a toilet block. Perfect!

Even if it rains while I’m out I’ll just sit in my car and write. That too is a good place for uninterrupted writing time.

I find that if I only stay out for 2 hours, I can write up to 7,000 words. That’s double what I get done when I’m at home.

So if you’re not getting as much writing done as you need, try working somewhere else.

You won’t believe what a difference it makes until you try it.

---------------------------------

How to Earn $100k+/Year Writing For the Internet -
The Wealthy Writer
https://ruthiswriting.com/links/wealthywriter.html

Why Do I Bother Getting Out of Bed?

A while back I was talking to a woman I know and I was saying how much it was raining when the alarm went off and it felt too cozy to get out of bed.

Note: it was REALLY a while back because we've been in a 6-month drought and are currently suffering through the Australian Bush Fires. :)

Anyway, she asked me an unusual question. She said, 'Why do you set the alarm every morning?'

I said, 'To get up every day.'

And she said, 'What for?'

I said, 'So that I don't miss the day.'

She then went on to say that she couldn't understand why anyone would set an alarm clock every night when they don't have a job to get up and go to in the morning.

I didn't know what to say. She then told me that she never sets an alarm and simply wakes up when she wakes up and if she doesn't want to get up straight away, she just reads a book till around lunchtime and then only gets up because she's hungry.

I was flabbergasted. I couldn't imagine my life being so tedious and boring that I wouldn't want to get out of bed every day.

Imagine having no reason at all to get out of bed?

That's where she and I are so different.

I have a mission. It's my writing and every day I look forward to doing it.

I look forward to getting up every single day and working on it.

My mission is the most constant thing in my life.

Even if I lost everything else, I'd still have my mission.

It's why I get out of bed each and every day.

https://ruthiswriting.com/books/MCFL.html

The Lazy Man’s Way to Writing More

Before we get into the subject of writing more, let me be clear that when I say ‘lazy man’s way to writing more’ and also mean ‘lazy woman.’ I know that seems obvious, but there are always a few who don’t seem to get simple things like that.

Anyway, what’s really important is writing more and not needing more time to write.

Because, let’s face it, no one wants to work any more than they need to.

But if you love to write, then it never feels like work. Writing should be something that you enjoy.

It should be fun.

That way, no matter how much time you have, you’ll always be able to write more.

Yet even for the most prolific writers, writing can sometimes seem like a struggle if it goes on for too long in one sitting.

That’s why I like to use a timer.

I set it for one Pomodoro (25 minutes) or for a Gene Schwartz 33.33 minutes, or for 45 to 60 minutes (my own choice) depending on what I’m writing and how long and complicated it is.

For short articles, I only set it for 15 minutes.

Working this way makes me focus more because when I know my time is limited, I’ve got no time to waste.

And strangely, writing this way is easier and faster. I’ve heard that it’s because it engages the subconscious brain more.

Try timed writing and see how it can help you too.


Write an Article in 15 Minutes or Less
https://ruthiswriting.com/books/15.html

Why The Usual Advice About Time Management is Wrong

It’s usually around this time of year (New Year) that the usual pieces of advice come out about managing your time better so that you can write more.

And if you’re anything like me, you not only actively look for this type of advice, but you read it all and drink up all the information.

But I usually find that everything I read gives the same advice:

write out a daily to-do list
do less wasteful things
get more done in less time

Sadly, although well-meaning, none of these things will help you write more. They may help for a while, but ultimately, nothing will change.

So what will help?

If you want to write more, then there’s only one thing you can do that will help you.

Write more.

Simply that.

There is nothing in the whole world that can ‘help’ you to get more writing done.

You just have to write more.

When you’re not writing, no writing gets done.

So how can you find the time and the motivation to spend more time writing?

The remedy is to know what you want to write and then do it.

It’s best to have a simple system that you can use repeatedly so that whenever you get a great idea, you can sit down and get to work on it immediately.

So if you want to write a book you can sit and write a book.

And you’ll always be writing more.

7 Day eBook Writing and Publishing System
Want to be a published author by this time next week?
https://ruthiswriting.com/books/7day.html

The Only Way To Get More Writing Done

Now that it's a New Year, many writers think about managing their time better.

I used to do the same thing too. I used to think, "If only there was a way to get lots more writing done."

So I set out on a quest a few years ago to try and discover this 'secret' for having more time to write.

I wouldn't say I was actively pursuing the answer to this question all the time, but whenever I came across an article about how to have more time to write, I'd sit and devour it with my eyes. I would read every word hoping to find that elusive, time-creating secret to being able to sit down and write more.

And I think I did find it a long time ago but I ignored it because it's wasn't what I wanted.

And if I'm really honest, I knew how to get more writing done all along. I just chose to ignore it.

Yet it really is so slap-you-forehead simple.

What I discovered, and which I actually knew all along but I was trying to delude myself that there was an easier way, was that the ONLY way to get more writing done, is to get more writing done.

So there it is.

That is the 'secret' to getting more writing done. It's to do more writing.

What this actually means in day-to-day reality is making writing a priority and doing it every single day. No excuses.

It's not that hard to find time every day to write.

We all have 24 hours a day and how we shape our life depends on how we spend our time every day.

And to be able to write every day, means cutting out something else that isn't necessary and that won't help you reach your writing goals.

So it may mean watching less TV or getting an hours less sleep every day to get up early and write, or spending less time having after-work drinks with colleagues.

Or it may mean utilizing wasted time like writing during the journey to work or when your sitting in the car waiting for your kids to get out of school or when you're drinking coffee.

When you start to look at exactly how you spend your 24 hours every day, you'll find ways to change things around so that there is always time to get more writing done.

Make this the year that you write every day. No matter what it takes.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/LLS.html

How Much Can You Write in 2 Hours a Day?

Being a writer means spending time alone to get your writing done. But it doesn't have to be a lot of time.

Just 2 hours a day can yield over 10,000 words written a week or a full-time income from writing.

2 hours is plenty of time to write, but it takes good organisation.

If you sit down and have no idea what to write about, then your time will be wasted and before you know it, your 2 hours is up and you've got nothing done.

But if you already know what you're going to do, then it can be 2 hours of extremely productive time every day, which is 10 hours a week, assuming you work 5 days out of 7.

You may not think that 2 hours is long enough, but if you're not writing much at all at the moment, then 2 hours a day is a huge improvement in output.

Not only that, but if 2 hours is more time than you're writing now then it's a huge improvement and it's much better than not writing at all.

But you need to make sure that it's distraction-free time and that means no texting, no surfing online, and definitely no anti-social media. Only allow it to be 2 hours of writing, editing, proofing, uploading, publishing.

And the best part is that when you get into a regular habit of sitting down and writing every day, you may even find yourself working longer without even realising it.

And once it becomes a daily habit to work for 2 hours a day, it will be fun because you won't be resisting it anymore and it will literally change your life.

As the great motivational guru, Mike Littman used to say, 'People form habits, and habits form futures."

So know what you want your future to be, and then get into the habit of sitting down for 2 hours every day to make your future writing dreams into a daily reality.

And now that we're so close to the New Year, there is no better time to plan out and start working on your writing dreams.


https://ruthiswriting.com/make-money.html

Napoleon Hill's 30 Minutes to Peak Productivity

A few days ago I was reading (well, to be honest, it was an audiobook so I was listening to it) Napoleon Hill's classic book Think and Grow Rich.

I bought this book several years ago and, like most good books, it's great to read it over and over again, because I find that every time I read it, I pick up one more golden nugget of information that I missed before.

And if you aren't already familiar with this book, you're missing out on so much.

As the title suggests, it's your thoughts that make you rich. But not just your thoughts but being disciplined enough to act on them.

Anyway, while listening to this amazing book, I found I was paying more attention than usual to the part where he was talking about how important it is to put yourself in the right state of mind when thinking about a plan of how you're going to earn money.

He said that you need to have just the germ of an idea and from that, if you think about it enough and meditate on it regularly, you can build it up from just a thought, into a multi-million dollar business (or words to that effect).

He also went on to say exactly how you can do this, and that is by setting aside just 30 minutes a day to contemplate your idea into a goal and eventually be able to visualize the complete concept of what you can achieve.

He said that by utilizing just 30 minutes a day you can think about your idea until it becomes a reality in your own mind and you feel excited and motivated to put your ideas into action.

This 30 minutes a day is so important because, without it, you won't be able to build up your idea or to visualize it and feel the emotions of it already happening which is vital to your financial success.

This is how you 'Think and Grow Rich.'

And a great aid to your 30 minutes a day of contemplation on your idea (or 30 minutes to think about what it is you really want to do - as opposed to what you THINK you should do) is the Brain Evolution System. I know that sounds like a sales pitch, but I've used this system for several years now and it really is amazing, and it doesn't cost anything to try it, so you've got nothing to lose.

You just set aside 30 minutes a day, slip on your headphones and allow the binaural beats to influence your brainwaves which will do two things. It will help to put you into a calm state of mind which will then allow your mind to contemplate things clearly and efficiently with a sharp, clear focus.

I've been using this system for a long time now and I always look forward to my 30 minutes of quiet time every day because the sounds are so soothing and relaxing and my mind comes up with unlimited ideas for whatever I need to work on. If you've never tried it, you should. When you close your eyes and drift into the sounds, it feels like you're floating far away which enables you to leave behind the usual dramas of your life.

At first it felt like 30 wasted minutes a day, but, within just a week or two of using it daily, I found it invaluable for getting more done.

As Napoleon Hill said, taking 30 minutes a day to contemplate an idea is life-changing.

You can try it for yourself for free by clicking the link below.

Brain Evolution System

The Non-Secret to Writing Success in 2020

It's nearly the end of 2019 so let me ask you a question. How much writing did you do? Was it as much as you promised you'd do? Or was it way, way less?

More importantly, how much money did you earn from your writing this year?

And how much are you planning to earn in 2020?

I have to admit that I didn't do as much writing as I thought I would nor did I make as much income. But I did write a lot and I earned enough money to live on. But I know I could have done better.

In fact, I plan to do much better next year. In 2020 I plan to be a content creating machine.'

I'm planning on writing a lot of website content (especially for my new writing website that will be up and running next year), emails, books, free ebooks, short reports, online content, article marketing, (some) affiliate marketing, thousands of blog posts and a whole lot more.

I'm already mapping it all out.

I began by making a list of everything I want to achieve and then I wrote out a whole lot of how I'm going to achieve it, including how much money I hope to earn from my writing in 2020.

And as I was doing this, it occurred to me that although there are millions of people who want to earn money from their writing, not many do.

Sadly, the reason is that they don't know (or don't want to know) the not-so-secret to writing success.

And that is... doing the grunt work of actually writing.

I see too many people going around looking for 'hacks' and 'tricks' that they can use to earn money from their writing without doing the writing. I've even had people email me and ask me to write their book idea for them, and publish and market it, and they will generously LET ME keep 50% of sales. Isn't that sweet?

But the un-secksy truth is that to have any sort of writing success, what you need is the self-discipline to develop a strong work ethic so that you can sit down and do the grunt work of actually writing every day.

And the biggest non-secret of all is that you don't even need to be a great writer.

You just have to out-work all the others who are still running around looking for the latest get-out-of-writing-free card.

Being a successful writer isn't elegant.

It means sitting down and working alone every day.

But if you do it right, it's still better than going out to work for someone else every day.

It's also fun.

Find everything you need for a successful 2020 by clicking the link below.

https://ruthiswriting.com/make-money.html

How the Email Spammers Helped Me Write More

I wrote a post yesterday about how one of my website email accounts had been hijacked because one of my hosting companies, NetRegistry, allowed 12 of their servers to be hacked, and so much spam email was sent through them, they have now been blacklisted.

So with my main computer, my Mac Book Pro, still at the Apple store to be checked for malware (just in case) I'm still only able to use my writing computer (my Mac Book Air) which I normally only use for writing. Naturally, it is possible to connect it to the internet, but I usually don't unless I need to do some immediate research, but I usually limit this computer to offline writing projects only.

Separating my computers this way makes me much more productive because my writing computer has none of my software on it, and because I don't allow myself to get online with it either, it forces me to focus only on my writing which makes me super productive.

And because it's the only computer I have right now, I can't even check my emails, update my websites, read online articles that I've saved to read later, check my RSS feeds, or use any of the software apps I have installed.

As you can imagine this has resulted in upping my productivity because I'm left with nothing to do but get on with my writing or do online research that I've been meaning to do but keep putting off. And, of course, I've been writing and publishing blog posts too.

When I get my other computer back I'm going to have to make sure I log out of Google (and Blogger) on this one, so that it goes back to being just my writing computer again.

I also sit at a big table to write on this computer whereas I sit at my desk to use my main computer, so I've been spending much more time at my writing table too (which is also my sewing table).

Isn't it funny how we do these little things (like sitting in specific places) without even thinking about it?

And even funnier is that while I'm writing blog posts on my writing computer, I still sit at my desk to do it, but then I move to the big table to write offline. I didn't even realise I did it till I started writing this blog post today, and when I thought about it, I did the same thing yesterday. I sat at my desk to write a blog post then moved the computer to the table to work on my book. It's a quirk I didn't know I had.

So without noticing, getting off my main computer for a day (and now 2 days) and working offline has made me much more productive because I can't do my usual email checking or any website work or use any of my software so all I can do is write.

And you know what? It's not a bad thing at all.

I even sat for a while yesterday afternoon making more plans for my new website which I'll tell you more about tomorrow.

So even though yesterday I thought this whole email hacking thing was terrible (I was doomed. Doomed!) it turned out to be a useful exercise in upping my productivity.

And now back to writing...

But first I'll have to move back to my writing table. (Grin)


Find Books to help you write more too.
https://ruthiswriting.com/make-money.html

New Website Software Woes

I know I complained in my last post about my computer updating and causing me to not be able to use my website-building software anymore, but now I've subscribed to Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes my beloved Dreamweaver. But now it's so advanced I don't know how to use it.

So I spent several hours on the weekend working my way through Adobe online tutorials and making copious notes about how to use this newly upgraded software, and that was after it took a few hours to download all of the 22  huge apps that come with the license I purchased.

But at least I was finally able to add an article to my site, and it's one that I wrote a few weeks ago but was unable to upload... until now.

 I Know The Secret To Writing Productivity
https://ruthiswriting.com/articles/2019/writing-productivity.html

But it still took me almost an hour to do it because the software is so new to me. I feel like a novice all over again.

These days most people like to use simple ways to create websites like using the online WordPress software. But I like to have more control over my sites so that I can change and update them whenever and however I want to.

I'm also in the process of starting a new website for writers and using my current RuthIsWriting site for something else. The plans are still only on paper at the moment but this is a space worth watching.  Make sure you follow this blog so that you'll know when the new one launches.

And I'm also currently working on my next book which is one of many I have planned to write.

The problem is that I have so many ideas yet not enough time to implement them all. But I'm trying to be better organised.

At the moment I feel hampered by the weather too because here in Queensland, Australia, it's almost summer (1st December) and it's really getting extremely hot now and we've also had quite a few thunderstorms but very little rain, so we are also in a drought (since July) and there is talk of water restrictions being introduced soon.

We also have quite a number of bushfires burning in our state (16 at last count) and there is a lot of smoke haze around. Last week we were on a watch-and-wait list to see if one of the fires was going to get too close and we'd all have to evacuate, but it didn't come to that.

But with computer updates, new software to learn to use, hot weather, bushfires, storms, etc, I feel like something is trying to stop me move forward with what I want to do.

But I won't be beaten and it only makes me want to work harder, which, because I love to write, isn't such a bad thing.

Especially when I have a growing list of so many writing ideas that I want to work on.


Goodbye Writer's Block:
How to Be a Creative Genius and Have an Abundance of Ideas
Plus the Inspiration and Motivation to Write
https://ruthiswriting.com/books/WB.html