“It’s easier doing something every day than it is doing it once in a while.
It’s easier and more effective to do a little a lot than to do a lot a little.”
Dr. Rob Gilbert
My wonderful friend Linda introduced me to Dr. Rob Gilbert, a professor at Montclair State University. Rob is a sports psychologist and motivational speaker — and the creator of Success Hotline, a free, 3-minute daily inspirational phone message (973.743.4690 — check it out!)
Success Hotline is fantastic! I listen to it every day. It’s uplifting and action-oriented — and I’ve found it incredibly valuable to me as a writer. Rob focuses on discipline, goal-setting, peak performance, handling setbacks, overcoming procrastination, creating positive habits, and boosting resilience. Every one of his tips in these areas has helped improve my writing.
The Hotline just celebrated its 20-year anniversary. Back when Rob started, he would record messages once a week; often he’d skip a week or two. But when he started leaving messages every day, he found that he never missed one. While it seems counterintuitive, Rob discovered something remarkable: It’s easier to do something every day than it is to do it once in a while.
What a revelation! When I took Rob’s Hotline as my model and committed to writing four pages a day, my whole writing life changed. Instead of feeling frustrated, I started building momentum. Before this, I would have intense writing bouts, but they were erratic and I would lose steam. I was always waiting for my muse to show up. But by writing daily, I learned something invaluable: our muse shows up when we do (See Muse Management). When I started writing every day — doing a little a lot, instead of a lot a little — I became more dedicated and more disciplined.
Rob’s Hotline even inspired me to launch this blog. It’s a labor of love, but also a form of discipline. Every day I have to come up with something fresh and helpful to share. Doing this has been incredibly empowering. It’s shown me that we all have a bottomless well of creativity. We are never empty: When we tap into our inner wellspring of ideas, we find there’s an endless flow of them to draw upon.
Thank you, Linda for telling me about Success Hotline. And thanks, Rob, for inspiring people day after day every year for 20 years — what a remarkable achievement! Bravo!
