In a recent post, David Epstein quoted an interview with Murakami back in 2004:
When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at four a.m. and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for ten kilometers or swim for fifteen hundred meters (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at nine p.m. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. But to hold to such repetition for so long—six months to a year—requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.
Murakami mentioned ‘writing mode’, which suggests different cycles of focused work. Cal Newport mentioned something similar in his recent podcast on a 4 month period to reinvent one’s life. He provides specific plans, with the first step being the discipline layer by setting up 3 key daily habits (one on professional, one health, and one personal) for the first two weeks.
I like the idea of having different 3-4 months focused mode within a year, which is a good way to avoid the December/January habit changing peak season trap. But I find it hard to stick to a weekly or daily planning routine.
Whether we call it discipline, grit, or habit, smart effort sustained over time tends to produce results. Since we all have different genetic endowments, it makes more sense to measure our progress against ourselves than others. For late bloomers (and I would consider myself one), we might feel like it’s too late to start many pursuits. But there’s no point in lamenting things that we didn’t learn or do in the past. We may not become the best in any pursuit, but we can improve in many of them. The good thing is, no one knows what potential we have, and it’s good to have aspirations and pursuits regardless of our age.
Andrew Huberman has a good summary of recent research on goal setting.
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