{"id":5496,"date":"2023-12-23T20:43:53","date_gmt":"2023-12-24T00:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/join-us-for-write24in24-gretchen-rubin\/"},"modified":"2023-12-23T20:43:53","modified_gmt":"2023-12-24T00:43:53","slug":"join-us-for-write24in24-gretchen-rubin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/join-us-for-write24in24-gretchen-rubin\/","title":{"rendered":"Join us for #Write24in24 | Gretchen Rubin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Every year on the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcasts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Happier with Gretchen Rubin<\/a><\/em> podcast, as part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/getting-started-the-24-for-2024-trifecta\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Happier Trifecta<\/a>, my co-host and sister Elizabeth and I do an annual challenge with listeners.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve done <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/listeners-share-their-walk-20-in-20-success-stories-so-much-happiness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Walk20in20<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/join-us-to-read-for-21-minutes-every-day-in-2021-read21in21\/\">#Read21in21<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcast\/407-we-review-our-22-for-22-lists-reflect-on-getting-rest-in-2022-and-share-a-travel-hack\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Rest22in22<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/go-outside-23-in-23\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#GoOutside23in23<\/a>. For some reason, framing a habit this way makes it feel more fun\u2014and also easier to maintain.<\/p>\n<p>For 2024, our challenge is\u2026<strong>#Write24in24! <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/thehappierapp.com\/write-24-in-24?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Join us.<\/a><strong><br \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><b>Find the approach to writing that works for you and your aims<\/b><\/h2>\n<p>If you write consistently, you\u2019ll be <em>astonished<\/em> by how much you can accomplish in 2024. We often underestimate what we can do if we work consistently; as the famously prolific writer Anthony Trollope observed, \u201cA small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For the year of 2024, for the first time, we\u2019re suggesting two options for following along, depending on what kind of writing you want to do.<\/p>\n<p>Riffing off \u201c\u201924,\u201d you can write for <strong>2-4 minutes each day\u2014<\/strong>that\u2019s enough to \u201ccount.\u201d Or if you want to go the extra mile, you can write for <strong>24 minutes each day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Short or long? It\u2019s up to you.<\/p>\n<p>Whether in 2-4 or 24 daily minutes, you can accomplish great things by the end of the year.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Identify your aim<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We\u2019ll all have our own individual aim for this challenge. Do you want to #Write24in24 to boost your productivity, creativity, mindfulness, self-knowledge, or something else?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Productivity\u2014<\/strong>whether you write short or long, your writing could help you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>set priorities for the day with a \u201cto-day\u201d list<\/li>\n<li>clear your mind of nagging thoughts by making a \u201cto-do\u201d list<\/li>\n<li>make extremely manageable but consistent progress toward a big aim, such as creating a <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcast\/185-make-a-facts-of-life-book\/\">Facts of Life<\/a> book<\/li>\n<li>chip away at challenging emails<\/li>\n<li>stay in regular touch with friends or family by sending texts, emails, or handwritten notes<\/li>\n<li>serve as a type of accountability partner\u2014great for <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/four-tendencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Obligers<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>keep a \u201cta-da\u201d list of what you\u2019ve accomplished that day, if you tend to be hard on yourself<\/li>\n<li>kickstart your brain into work mode<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><br \/>Creativity\u2014<\/strong>whether you write short or long, your writing could help you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>make progress on a novel, Ph.D., memoir, or other major writing project<\/li>\n<li>maintain the habit of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/juliacameronlive.com\/basic-tools\/morning-pages\/\">Morning Pages<\/a>\u201c\u2014Julia Cameron\u2019s suggestion to do three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing, first thing in the morning<\/li>\n<li>generate unexpected ideas and connections by writing frequently<\/li>\n<li>create a keepsake for yourself or as a gift, by noting memories, reflections, insights, and events<\/li>\n<li>capture fleeting ideas that might otherwise be forgotten<\/li>\n<li>brainstorm with yourself<\/li>\n<li>overcome writer\u2019s block by writing consistently<\/li>\n<li>ignore self-critical thoughts by pouring out ideas, no matter how outlandish or impractical<\/li>\n<li>keep a <em><a href=\"https:\/\/the-happiness-project.com\/collections\/all\/products\/one-sentence-journal?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">One-Sentence Journal<\/a><\/em>\u00a0as a general diary or to track an important transition or project<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><br \/>Mindfulness<\/strong>\u2014whether you write short or long, your writing could help you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>boost your gratitude by writing down things you\u2019re grateful for<\/li>\n<li>appreciate the moment by noting the experiences of your five senses\u2014check out the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/the-happiness-project.com\/collections\/all\/products\/five-senses-journal?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Five-Senses Journal<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<li>reduce stress and clear your mind by setting concerns down on paper and <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/are-you-a-worrier-three-tips-to-worry-less\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">scheduling time to worry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><br \/>Self-knowledge\u2014<\/strong>whether you write short or long, your writing could help you to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>evoke and record your memories<\/li>\n<li>gain insight into your own nature\u2014consider the <a href=\"https:\/\/the-happiness-project.com\/collections\/journals\/products\/know-yourself-better-journal-bundle-1?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Know Yourself Better Journals<\/em><\/a>, which pose thought-provoking questions to help guide reflection<\/li>\n<li>craft the narrative of your own life; research shows \u201clife storytelling\u201d boost happiness by helping us to make sense of, and find meaning in, our experiences<\/li>\n<li>reflect on your behavior, thinking, or problem-solving to gain insight into broad patterns<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tips to build a writing routine<\/h2>\n<p>If one approach doesn\u2019t work, try something else\u2014but do start with a plan. Research shows that the more concretely and specifically we plan, the more likely we are to stick to our resolutions.<\/p>\n<p>Except for <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/four-tendencies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rebels<\/a>! Rebels, do it your way! Whatever feels right to you! If you want to keep it unplanned and spontaneous, that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What method of writing?<\/strong> Type into a document on your computer, add to an app in your phone, handwrite in a journal, use the page of a scratch pad? Beautiful tools make work a joy, so indulge in a modest splurge if that makes writing more pleasurable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Choose your time of day wisely. <\/strong>Are you a <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/are-you-a-lark-or-an-owl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">morning person or a night person<\/a>? Are you using this exercise to set your priorities for the coming day, to reflect on the day that just passed, or to do original work?<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you need accountability, get it.<\/strong> Obligers, you need accountability! And Upholders, Questioners, and sometimes even Rebels can benefit from accountability. Join a writers\u2019 group, find an accountability partner, take a class, use <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappierapp.com\/write-24-in-24?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the <em>Happier<\/em> app<\/a>\u2026there are many forms of accountability. A friend told her son, \u201cYou have your homework, and I have my homework, which is my daily writing. If I don\u2019t do my homework, you don\u2019t have to do your homework.\u201d She felt obliged to write, because otherwise, her son wouldn\u2019t do his homework.<\/p>\n<p>Accountability structure can be quite unconventional. According to the historian Plutarch, in ancient Greece, the Athenian statesman Demosthenes built an underground study where he practiced his speaking and exercised his voice. To keep himself working, he shaved off one half of his head of hair, so that he couldn\u2019t go out in public.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Don\u2019t break the chain<\/strong>. Many people benefit from sticking to a chain\u2014which is one reason our annual challenge works so well. Use the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/the-happiness-project.com\/collections\/journals\/products\/dont-break-the-chain-habit-tracker?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Don\u2019t Break the Chain Habit Tracker<\/a><\/em>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/thehappierapp.com\/write-24-in-24?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the <em>Happier<\/em>\u00a0app<\/a> to record your streak.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Try forming a ritual.<\/strong> A ritual helps signal our brains that it\u2019s time to enter a creative, focused state. You might light a candle, play a particular kind of music, walk around the block, or go to a specific place.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Consider collaboration. <\/strong>It can be exciting and fun to collaborate on a writing project. One reason that Elizabeth became a TV writer, after having written several novels, is that she likes to collaborate on writing. Consider whether you\u2019d like to do\u00a0 #Write24in24 with another person or group.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Upgrade your tools or your surroundings.<\/strong> Writing <em><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/books\/life-in-five-senses\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Life in Five Senses<\/a><\/em>\u00a0showed me that our sensory environment can make working easier or harder. Do you want to write in silence, with music playing, or amid the busy hum of a coffee shop? Is your desk chair comfortable, do you need a better pen, would you feel energized by putting a plant on your desk?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Put yourself in the company of writers.\u00a0<\/strong>As the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/my-new-book-about-habit-formation-as-distilled-in-21-sentences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strategy of Other People<\/a><\/em>\u00a0holds, we tend to pick up behaviors and attitudes from others. Hang out with people who also value writing, visit bookstores, listen to podcasts about writing (e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/amwriting\/id1099630313\">#AmWriting<\/a>), read <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/want-to-read-about-writing-here-are-my-five-favorite-books-about-writing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">books about writing<\/a> (e.g., King\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3v7utEz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On Writing<\/a><\/em>, Lamott\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/48qxDBS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bird by Bird<\/a><\/em>, Shapiro\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3GQSlPu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Still Writing<\/a><\/em>, Zinsser\u2019s <em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/484JC8m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">On Writing Well<\/a>). <\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Look back on times when you\u2019ve succeeded in the past.<\/strong> When I was writing my book about habit change, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/books\/better-than-before\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Better Than Before<\/a><\/em>, I noticed that people would often bemoan the fact that in the past, they\u2019d kept a habit easily, but now found it hard to follow. This is a <em>huge clue<\/em>! If you wrote regularly in the past, reflect\u2014and try to understand what aspect of that time made it easier. Was it the accountability of turning in homework? Was it excitement about the project? Was it the fun of collaboration? The past holds clues for the present.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use the <em>Muse Machine<\/em> if you get stuck.<\/strong> I recently created the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/the-happiness-project.com\/collections\/all\/products\/muse-machine?utm_campaign=article-write24in24&amp;utm_source=gr&amp;utm_medium=web\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Muse Machine<\/em><\/a><\/strong>, a deck of 150 prompts to help spark creative thinking. I must say\u2014I love it! Or if you have another way of boosting your creativity, use it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Use the <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/my-new-book-about-habit-formation-as-distilled-in-21-sentences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Strategy of Convenience<\/a>. <\/strong>Make it very easy to write. Keep your materials handy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Tap into your Tendency.<\/strong> Are you an Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel? Use that knowledge to help you keep the habit of daily writing.<\/p>\n<p>Find more <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/tips-for-building-a-writing-routine\/\">tips for building a writing routine<\/a> here.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/articles\/writing-ama\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ask Us Anything: Elizabeth and I Answer Questions from the Podcast<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Ideas for Working on a Major Creative Project in 2-4 Daily Minutes<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re writing for 2-4 daily minutes, you may be doing a to-list, handwriting notes, tackling emails, or the like. Which is great!<\/p>\n<p>But you could also make progress on a major creative project, just 2-4 minutes each day. Remember, your work will add up to something significant by December. So consider whether you\u2019d like to build toward some finished final project.<\/p>\n<p>Interesting short-form inspirations that I\u2019ve loved:<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/41xOuk0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">People Who Led to My Plays<\/a><\/em>\u2014playwright Adrienne Kennedy creates a riveting memoir by noting all the people who inspired her work, describing each person or encounter in just a few sentences<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/471sH5j\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>I Remember<\/em><\/a>\u2014in just a sentence or two, Joe Brainard writes down the specific memories that rise the surface of his mind, and with these short reflections, creates an extraordinary record<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3tzea2R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Glen Rock Book of the Dead<\/a>\u2014<\/em>Marion Winik writes one-page portraits of the dead people she has known; enthralling<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4av4SFE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Listography: Your Life in Lists<\/em><\/a>\u2014a journal designed to help you write your autobiography through list-making<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4833WqI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Love, Loss, and What I Wore<\/a>\u2014<\/em>Ilene Beckerman tells the story of her life, outfit by outfit\u2014this exercise could work with any element that pervades your life, such as foods you ate, music you listened to, books you read, art you admired. (Her memoir is illustrated, which is an interesting additional element.)<\/p>\n<h2>Use tools to help you #Write24in24<\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve created many resources that you might find helpful as you #Write24in24.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you write short or long, whether you join on January 1 or halfway through the year, whether you want to tackle your drudge work or spark your brilliance, #Write24in24 can work for you.<\/p>\n<p>Join us!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year on the Happier with Gretchen Rubin podcast, as part of the Happier Trifecta, my co-host and sister Elizabeth and I do an annual [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5497,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5496","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5496"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5496\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5497"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5496"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5496"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5496"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}