Habit of Mind: Flexibility by Bailey Lang
Let’s welcome back Bailey Lang as she shares with us “Habit of Mind: Flexibility.” Enjoy!
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As we’ve been talking about throughout this article series, there are eight habits of mind that writers can draw on to strengthen and grow their writing practices.
Thinking like a writer — turning our attention to proactive, positive ways of building our creative practices — leads to finished books.
The next habit on our list is flexibility.
What is Flexibility?
A lot of writing advice preaches discipline.
Consistency.
Showing up at the same time, in the same way, day after day after day.
The reality of building a successful writing life can be a lot more fluid than that!
Flexibility beats rigidity every time.
I love structure — but too much of it can lead to a writing practice that is so brittle it breaks into pieces the first time you encounter an obstacle.
Flexibility is the cure.
When it comes to our habits of mind, flexibility is a form of adaptability: responding gracefully and creatively when life throws one of its many, many curveballs.
Flexibility is what keeps us from panicking when our carefully laid plans get disrupted.
It enables us to keep our energy directed where we want it to go: toward our writing, rather than into self-criticism or frustration.
How Do Writers Practice Flexibility?
Adopting flexibility as a habit of mind has huge benefits for writers.
Flexibility helps you see new opportunities constantly: from fresh ideas to more effective ways to write.
Flexibility is about how you respond to internal and external circumstances that might otherwise get in between you and your writing.
Writers can apply the mental habit of flexibility to all three primary areas of building a writing life: mindset, practice, and craft.
A flexible mindset is one that draws on two other key habits — openness and engagement — so we’re always seeking alternative paths to reach the goal and cultivating a willingness to change our perspectives when we need to.
A flexible practice is one that accounts for and accommodates the unpredictable demands of life.
We can build a writing habit and have a couple of backup plans in our pocket for when the unexpected happens.
A flexible craft is one that is constantly seeking new writing techniques and opportunities so that when we sit down to write, we’re confident in our ability to pick the right tool for the job.
Focusing on your mental flexibility doesn’t require a yoga mat — but you may have to stretch yourself!
Here are some examples of how a writer might practice flexibility, starting with inner flexibility and moving to external examples.
- Acknowledging when they’re feeling stuck and, instead of beating themselves up, choosing to use writing time to refill their creative cup. A flexible mindset enables writers to recognize and meet their creative needs.
- Reworking a routine writing schedule when something unexpected happens (a sick kid, a busy week at work, a flat tire). Flexibility helps writers confront reality without self-blame while still finding time for creative expression.
- Signing up for a writing class and experimenting with multiple new styles and techniques. Strong writers know that the more they learn and practice, the better their writing gets.
Flexibility-Building Activities for Writers
Practicing flexibility doesn’t mean throwing all structure and consistency out the window.
Instead, the goal is to practice looking at situations like they are multifaceted gems.
Depending on how you turn things, you’ll see different aspects — and opportunities.
It’s also possible (and often advisable!) to combine flexibility and structure.
Think about where you need familiarity, routine, or guidelines to keep yourself on track — and where you need room to stretch, breathe, and play.
Ask yourself questions like, “What will happen if…,” or “How do I want to respond when…” and pose some hypotheticals.
- What will happen if you change up your writing schedule next week?
- What will happen if you break your writing streak?
- How do you want to respond when something disrupts your planned writing time?
- How do you want to respond when you have an amazing idea but you’re stuck in a meeting?
Bringing flexibility into your habits of mind toolbox is a way for you to feel a stronger sense of agency in every aspect of your creative life.
Conduct a Flexibility Audit
It’s hard to build a new mental habit without a solid understanding of how you think now.
How flexible are you currently?
Your habitual, instantaneous response to something like a disruption can tell you a lot about where flexibility might make a difference.
One way to start to figure out whether your flexibility muscle needs some work is to conduct a quick audit.
All it takes is a bit of reflection time.
Here’s what I recommend.
- Think back to the last several times you sat down to write (or tried to!).
- What went well? Where did you get tripped up?
- Make a list of anything that tripped you up.
- What do you notice about what’s on the list? Are they primarily internal or external barriers?
- What would a flexible response to one of those barriers look like?
Spend a bit of time journaling on what you’re noticing about your writing practice and how flexibility might help you feel more empowered.
A big part of building a flexible mental habit is thinking of alternative responses before you’re facing down a plan that’s gone awry.
Building your strategy when things are calm means you’ll already know what to do when you encounter chaos.
Map Your Unique Energy Patterns
Part of building a flexible habit of mind — and a sustainable writing practice — is being realistic about your energetic capacity.
Writing advice often assumes you can (and should) show up at the same time, in the same way, forever.
For many writers, that is not realistic or possible, and holding ourselves to that standard means constantly feeling like a failure.
However, we can choose to understand our energy patterns and align our practices and expectations with the creative capacity we really have.
Here are some questions to consider as you build your energy map:
- At what time of day do you have the most creative energy? (Morning, afternoon, night)
- When during a normal week do you have energetic capacity and free time to write? (Weekdays, weekends)
- How does your energy level vary across a typical month?
- What energy variations do you experience during different seasons?
- What other drains on your energy do you need to account for? (Work schedules, childcare/eldercare, school schedules, chronic illness, disability, etc.)
Once you have a clearer picture of your energy map, you can start to think more flexibly about how to build a writing practice that sustains your creativity rather than draining it!
Reading Recommendations
- Rising Strong (affiliate link)
- Everything is Figureoutable (affiliate link)
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About the Author
Dr. Bailey Lang is a book coach, writer, and editor.
At The Writing Desk, she helps authors build sustainable, enjoyable writing practices that take their books from draft to done.
Bailey has a PhD in rhetoric and writing studies and loves geeking out about writing.
You can sign up for Bailey’s free newsletter, Word to the Wise, for more writing advice and regular author interviews.
