I’ve been preaching the value of establishing a regular writing practice.

If you are writing regularly, you will produce journal articles, books, and whatever else you need to produce. Establishing a regular practice is hard, but research shows that as little as 15 minutes per day can be effective. You can find 15 minutes.

I’ve applied the same principle to establishing a yoga practice. I know from experience that yoga is good for me. But getting out to more than one class in a studio a week is almost impossible. In December 2014 I made a commitment to start a daily yoga practice. I did not set any goals about when I’d have it established, when I’d extend it beyond 15 minutes, or even what might happen as a result of my daily 15 minute practice. I just decided to make a commitment to try it and to stick with it.I took a few private lessons to help me identify a 15 minute practice I could do daily. My goal was to establish the habit. By March, I had established that habit and was doing about 20 minutes a day.

The key things I asked at the beginning were:

• What support do I need?
• How do I make it easy?

One year later …

In November 2015 I reviewed my yoga practice. I didn’t always do my practice when there were major disruptions to my routine like travelling (for work or pleasure). However, it was enough of a habit that one or more of these things happened in those circumstances:

• I did a modified version of my 15 minute practice.
• I did my 15 minute practice some days.
• I returned to my 15 minute practice when I returned to my normal routine.

In other words, I had established a habit. Even when I didn’t do it for a couple of days, I went back to it. I was able to adjust it when I didn’t have the normal environment and supports.

Furthermore I felt ready to extend my practice.

I reviewed my morning routine and realized I could easily do more than 15 minutes. I was also ready for more challenge and variety in the actual physical practice, while maintaining the general mental/spiritual context.

I went back to the same 2 questions:

• What support do I need?
• How do I make it easy?

I had purchased a series of recordings of guided 30 minute practices a few years ago. I found them and experimented with using them. They are ideal. The style is very similar to the style of yoga I have been practicing. My knowledge of yoga and my body has advanced to a point where I can interpret the instructions appropriately.

• Using what I already have is easy. No extra research.
• The 30-minute length fits my sense of what is possible every day without losing my habit.
• The variety offered by the series adds depth to the physical practice, something I also felt I was ready for.

There was enough change to meet my needs, which had evolved over the year of establishing the practice, and enough continuity that it felt like the same habit. I didn’t need to work on that part of it. This was tested in early January when I came down with a bad cold and didn’t do my morning yoga practice for a couple of days. On the first day that I felt better, I wanted to return to it and was able to choose an appropriate specific practice to fit my abilities on that day.

The same thing will happen with your writing practice

As I’ve said before, I don’t care if you ever do yoga. I do care if you write.

If you are not writing regularly during term time, start with the 15 minute/day Academic Writing Challenge. Your goal is to establish a practice. Ask yourself

• What support do I need? (there are some ideas on the linked page)
• How do I make it easy?

Then be patient and trust that one day you will write for more than 15 minutes a day. Just establish the habit. Put a note in your calendar to review things in 6 weeks or 3 months or whatever feels right. When you review you can carry on or extend it.

One day it will feel right to do more. You might change your 15 minutes to 20 minutes or 30 minutes. You might add A Meeting With Your Writing. You might schedule a short writing retreat part way through the semester.

Be patient. Trust. Build a practice.