Three Steps to Start a Daily Writing Habit - Jeff Goins
There are three steps, I've found, to starting a daily writing habit. Do this over and over and over again, as often as you can.
practice
Of course, we all have skills we've inherited and opportunities we didn't deserve. But what we do with these gifts and opportunities is what separates the outliers from the rest of the pack. The difference between a professional and an amateur is simple — it’s <anchor>practice</anchor>. The amateur quits; the pro never gives up.
We Become What We Practice
We Become What We Practice

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## We Become What We Practice

> _We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit._ **—Aristotle**

Have you noticed this yet? That the more you do something, the more you _are_ it? Although we are certainly more than what we do, we do indeed become what we [practice](https://goinswriter.com/practice-perfect/ "All Great Writers Practice").

[![Practice](https://goinswriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/practice.jpg)](https://goinswriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/practice.jpg) Photo Credit: [RLJ Photography NYC](https://www.flickr.com/photos/21681746@N00/2731954526/) via [Compfight](https://compfight.com) [cc](https://www.flickr.com/help/general/#147)

To be sure, we are more than the mere sum of our actions. There's something incredibly intangible about being human. That we large, animate pieces of meat can not only conjure ideas but transmit them to each other.

But let's not for a second delude ourselves into thinking our actions don't matter, that discipline and devotion aren't essential to the formation of character and value systems. They are.

### What it takes to leave a legacy

The more you do, the more you become. And the more you [dream](https://goinswriter.com/starting/ "Dreaming Vs. Starting"), the more you build castles in the sky.

So what do you want to be known for?

If you want to do meaningful work in this life — to be someone who makes an impact, who leaves a legacy and is remembered for greatness — then you'd better start acting like it. _Now_.

I mean it.

### We regret what we fail to practice

There's nothing noble about an unlived life you _thought_ of living. There's nothing romantic about audacious, [unrealized dreams](https://goinswriter.com/realizing-your-dream/ "Realizing Your Dream"). Nothing honorable about sacrifices made begrudgingly for a life you end up resenting.

If you want to be something, why not begin by doing it? If you long to be a [writer](https://youareawriter.com/ "You Are a Writer"), then write. If an actor, then act. And if a runner, run.

This is what determines all great endeavors — not just another interesting idea to talk about a coffee shop, but the decision to act, to move. One small step after another.

That's what a habit is all about.

**What are you practicing? And what does that say about what you're becoming?** Share in the [comments](https://goinswriter.com/practice/#disqus_thread "Comments").

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