Why you shouldn't write at night

As a writing coach, I’ve heard it all:

“I’m most productive at night.”

“My creativity doesn’t hit until after dinner.”

“I can only get my writing done after the kids go to bed.”

I get it. I’m a night owl too. Just ask my mom—even as a toddler, I wouldn’t go to sleep before midnight. I like to stay up late and in my pre-kids, pre-full-time-job-and-bills-and-all-the-things life, was most productive in the evenings.

But now I’m an adult with a different life. And I know that the only way to actually get what I want to do done is to do it first thing in the morning.

If, like me, you feel most productive at night, I want to challenge you with a question: How often are you actually writing?

Neuroscientific research shows that our willpower decreases throughout the day. So while you might feel productive, you might not have the willpower needed to deny yourself that Netflix binge to write the book you’ve dreamed of writing.

Plus, an entire day leaves open many hours of disruption. Things come up and take priority over our goals.

So if you want my advice as a seasoned writer who has authored or ghostwritten seventeen books and thousands of pieces of content: Write in the morning, even if you’re a night owl. If you can, go to bed earlier and get up a little earlier. Write three to four days a week if you can; one if that’s all you’ve got. Try it for two weeks and see what you notice.

And remember: you don’t have to do this forever. If you’re writing a book, you just need a few months of consistency and discipline, and then you can go back to your old ways. But I bet you won’t want to.

Up for the challenge? Comment below and let me know. I’d love to know your commitment and then hear back from you a few weeks down the road as you implement your new writing schedule.