#55 Passion over productivity

I have recently started listening to the ‘How I Write’ podcast as I dedicate more time to writing. I was listening to an episode with ‘The Cultural Tutor’, who writes one thread per day every day on X (Formerly Twitter) and has amassed 1.5 million followers in little more than a year.

I was intrigued when the podcast guest very early on mentioned that he would not recommend his writing habits to others, as his sole focus is on writing one thread per day and doesn’t care about having good habits (he mentions regularly waking up at three or four in the afternoon) or productivity routines.

The conversation turns to writing about topics that one feels inspired and energised by when a writer is feeling ‘beastly’, and the idea is like ‘a roar ripping out of you’, and the guest makes a point which struck me (I have paraphrased slightly):

“This goes back to the productivity thing. Because when you feel like that, it doesn’t matter what you’ve eaten or how much you’ve slept or any of that crap. When you’re feeling that way, like a beast, it's a very potent word. When you feel that way, all that stuff doesn’t matter, and with that thrust, you could stay up all night writing, and I think you’re almost willing to because you know if you don’t write it down now, the inspiration might leave you tomorrow.”

I’m sure we can all remember when we were engrossed in an activity, in a flow state, staying up way past our bedtime. Flow is a psychological state characterised by complete absorption and focus in an activity, where we lose track of time and become fully immersed in the present moment. It often leads to heightened performance and a sense of deep satisfaction in the task at hand. But how regularly do we get into that state?

The personal development market is now massive, and many of us spend a lot of time per week seeking to optimise our lives and maximise our output (cue this very newsletter). However, we may not need to do so much of this if we are working on projects we are genuinely passionate about because it comes naturally.

Reflection idea

Are you spending time with the people and working on the projects that you are truly passionate about?

Best, Alex Joshi.

On my bedside table:

• Podcast: How I Write with David Perell - The Cultural Tutor on writing every day, growing a Twitter audience, and reading old books (link)

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