Category: Self-improvement

Stephen King is known for horror — but in On Writing, he turns his attention to craft, discipline, and the life of a writer. The result is part memoir, part toolkit, and surprisingly motivational — even if you’re not writing novels.

For anyone building a creative practice, this book is honest, practical, and full of reminders that consistency matters more than inspiration.

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📚 What the Book Is About

On Writing is split into two parts:

1️⃣ A raw and personal memoir — from childhood to addiction to the near-fatal accident that almost ended his writing life 2️⃣ A no-fluff guide to writing — grammar, story structure, editing, rejection, and finding your voice

What makes it stand out is King’s tone: he’s clear, funny, a little harsh, but completely real. He writes the way he speaks — and he’s not trying to impress anyone.

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🧠 What Stuck with Me

“The adverb is not your friend.”

King has strong opinions about writing that tries too hard. He believes clarity matters more than cleverness — and that simple, strong language almost always wins.

Discipline creates momentum.

King writes every day. He sets a word count goal and sticks to it. His advice? Don’t wait for the muse. Build a routine and show up.

Walking is part of the creative process.

Every day, he walks — not just for health, but because movement creates mental space. Ideas don’t always arrive at the desk. Sometimes, they show up when you’re walking the dog or wandering outside.

That quiet rhythm, that physical shift — it supports the work behind the words.

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💬 Personal Reflection

Reading On Writing felt like sitting across from a no-nonsense mentor who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth — but still wants you to succeed.

As someone who writes articles, digital guides, and behavioural content, I found this book both grounding and energising. It reminded me that writing isn’t about waiting for the perfect idea — it’s about trusting the process, showing up every day, and letting your voice evolve through use.

It also reminded me to walk more — not just for my body, but for my mind.

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📌 Who Should Read This

This book is for:

• Writers at any level
• Bloggers, educators, content creators
• Anyone building a creative habit or looking for motivation to keep going

It’s especially helpful if you overthink your writing or feel stuck trying to “find your voice.”

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⭐ Final Thoughts

On Writing is a reminder that creative work is built — not gifted. It’s about doing the work, even when it’s boring, hard, or inconvenient. And it’s about using movement, rhythm, and routine to fuel creativity — not just waiting for inspiration.

Whether you’re writing a book, building a blog, or creating anything from scratch — this one’s worth your time.

👉 Find the book here: On Writing by Stephen King – Amazon UK

Changing careers can feel overwhelming — especially when you’re not sure where to begin, what you’re good at, or whether it’s “too late.” I’ve been there. And while everyone’s path is different, here are the 3 core steps that helped me transition from stuck to studying, learning, and building a new direction.

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Step 1: Read Something That Changes How You See Yourself

My shift didn’t start with a course or a job search — it started with a book. I read Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself by Dr. Joe Dispenza, and it woke me up to something powerful: I didn’t have to keep living as the old version of me. I could choose again.

That one mindset shift changed everything. If you’re stuck, don’t start with job boards — start by expanding your sense of what’s possible.

👉 Read my full review of the book here.

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Step 2: Find What You’re Already Good At (Even If You Don’t See It Yet)

You might not have a job title or degree that matches your dream yet — but you do have talents, patterns, and interests that have been showing up for years.

Ask yourself:

• What problems do people come to me with?
• What do I lose track of time doing?
• What lights me up when I talk about it?

This step is about rediscovering your strengths and letting them guide your next direction — not your past resume.

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Step 3: Invest in the Education You Need to Grow

Once I knew the direction I wanted to explore — I took the leap and applied for a Master’s in Statistical Data Science. It wasn’t easy. It felt like a risk. But that investment gave me new tools, new confidence, and opened up new doors.

Your education doesn’t have to be formal — it might be a course, a mentor, or simply consistent study. But growth comes when you back your curiosity with commitment.

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You don’t need a perfect plan — just a first step.

If you’re thinking about a career change, start with belief, then discovery, then action. It worked for me — and I believe it can work for you too.

I used to want to meditate in the morning — but I rarely did. It felt like too much effort, or like something I’d get to “later.”

But once I found the right approach (and the right video), everything changed. Here’s how I made morning meditation a real, repeatable part of my day — in 3 steps.

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Step 1: Anchor the Habit to an Existing Cue

Instead of trying to “add” meditation into my morning, I anchored it to something I was already doing — brushing my teeth and drinking water. That became my cue: water → meditation.

💡 Backed by: Habit stacking and cue-based behavioural routines (BJ Fogg, James Clear)

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Step 2: Use the Same Meditation Every Day

To avoid decision fatigue or endless scrolling, I used the same video every morning — no thinking, no picking. Here’s the one I used: 👉 Joe Dispenza Morning Meditation on YouTube

Having a go-to video made it easy, automatic, and familiar.

💡 Why it works: Predictability reduces resistance and builds ritual

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Step 3: Reinforce the Win (Even If It’s Small)

After finishing, I take a moment to notice how I feel — calm, grounded, clear — and I say to myself: “That was worth it.” Sometimes I write one sentence in a journal or just smile. That tiny reward makes me want to come back the next day.

💡 Psychology: Positive reinforcement increases habit repetition — especially when the reward is internal

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This habit didn’t change my life overnight — it changed how I show up in my life, every day.

If you’ve struggled with building a meditation habit, try this 3-step system. Use the same cue, the same video, and the same self-reward — and see how it sticks.

👉 Try the meditation I use: Joe Dispenza Morning Meditation (YouTube)

I’ve had seasons where I doubted everything — my abilities, intelligence, voice, and potential. Confidence felt like something other people were born with.

But through trial, error, and psychology, I found 3 things that helped me shift from self-doubt to quiet, grounded confidence.

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Step 1: Focus on Identity Wins, Not Just Outcomes

Instead of obsessing over results, I asked: “What kind of person am I becoming?” Even when something flopped, I noticed how I showed up — persistent, curious, brave.

💡 Based on: Identity-based motivation (James Clear, Dweck’s mindset theory)

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Step 2: Build Micro-Proof Daily

I started tracking 1 small action every day that aligned with who I wanted to be. A message I sent. A hard thing I did. A risk I took. Each one became “proof” that I’m not faking it — I’m practicing it.

💡 Psychology: Self-efficacy grows through repetition and perceived success

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Step 3: Talk to Myself Like I’d Talk to Someone I Care About

I rewrote my self-talk script. When I felt like an imposter, I asked: “If my best friend were in my shoes, what would I say to her?” Then I said that to myself — out loud.

💡 Backed by: Self-compassion research (Kristin Neff), cognitive restructuring

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You don’t need to “feel” confident to act with confidence.

It’s not about faking it — it’s about practicing trust, one small action at a time. That’s how I started showing up like someone who believes in herself.

AI doesn’t have to be a distraction — it can be your focus partner. When used intentionally, tools like ChatGPT, Notion AI, and custom automations can reduce decision fatigue, structure your time, and free up mental energy for deep work.

Here’s my 3-step system for using AI to go deeper, not just faster.

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Step 1: Use AI to Clear Mental Clutter Before You Start

Start your deep work block by offloading your mental to-do list into AI.

Prompt: “I have 90 minutes to focus on [task]. Help me break it down into 3 clear steps with a 5-minute warm-up.”

Tool: ChatGPT, Notion AI, or any text-based assistant

💡 Why it works: Offloading decisions and pre-planning helps reduce cognitive load, making it easier to enter flow.

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Step 2: Use AI to Block Distractions and Keep You in Flow

Set up a system to protect your time:

• Use a timer AI (like Motion or Reclaim) to auto-schedule deep work blocks
• Use browser extensions like Mindful Prompt to intercept social scrolling
• Ask AI to create an “If-Then” mental reset plan when you feel distracted

Prompt: “When I feel like checking social media during work, what should I do instead that keeps me focused?”

💡 Backed by: Implementation intentions + behaviour substitution

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Step 3: Reflect & Refine With AI at the End

At the end of your session, use AI to review:

• What worked
• Where you drifted
• How to improve next time

Prompt: “Help me do a 3-minute reflection on the deep work I just did. Ask questions, give feedback, suggest one small improvement.”

💡 Why it works: Post-task reflection builds metacognition — which strengthens focus over time.

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Use AI like a co-worker — not a boss, not a toy.

When you treat AI as a quiet partner in your workflow, deep work becomes easier, lighter, and more sustainable. Try one of these prompts today and notice the difference.

I’m not a morning person. Never was. But I still needed structure, energy, and time to focus — even if my brain didn’t want to “rise and shine.”

Here’s how I built a simple, consistent morning routine that actually works for night owls like me — in 3 gentle steps.

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Step 1: Start with One Tiny Anchor Habit

Forget a full morning checklist. Choose one small action you can do every single morning — no matter what.

Mine was: open the curtains + drink water. That’s it. It became the “anchor.”

💡 Backed by: Habit anchoring and chaining principles — small wins create momentum

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Step 2: Design Your Routine Around Your Natural Rhythm

Night owls aren’t lazy — our circadian rhythm is just different. I stopped trying to wake up at 5 AM and instead made 9 AM feel good and energising.

Gentle light, upbeat playlist, no phone for 20 mins, one small task. No pressure.

💡 Science: Chronotype research + behaviour design

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Step 3: Reinforce the Routine With Small Rewards

I gave myself a little dopamine boost after completing my anchor habit — a nice breakfast, an audiobook, or a fancy coffee.

This made my brain associate mornings with something positive.

💡 Why it works: Immediate reinforcement builds habit strength — classic behavioural analysis in action.

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You don’t need a 5 AM miracle routine — just one that works for your brain and life.

This 3-step system helped me create calm, consistency, and energy — without changing who I am.

What Makes a Winner Win (Backed by Science)

You see successful people around you, on social media and TV. Lawyers who win cases. Athletes who attain gold medals. Singers who win talent competitions.

Are you wondering how do they do it?

Most people believe that those who are successful have talent, and that they don’t have it. Nothing can be done — end of story.

I am sure that you are different. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article.

And you are absolutely right. There is a secret to what makes someone a winner. Psychologists have done much research on this and here are the results. Continue reading “The Secret of What Makes a Winner”