“Do you want to be a writer? A musician? An artist? A maker of any sort or variety whatsoever?

Do you long to express yourself, to create, to innovate, to (as Kurt Vonnegut taught us yesterday) ‘experience becoming’?

Well, then. Today I introduce you to the most important tool in your arsenal: The humble kitchen timer.

Do you own one of these? If you don’t own one, can you afford to go out and buy one? Do you maybe have a more modern interpretation of this device already on your smartphone?

Good.

Now here is what you do. At some point today, you sit down and set that timer for 30 minutes. Work on your craft or your project without interruption or distraction. Doesn’t have to be major work — just has to be focused work. Don’t get up from your seat until the timer dings. Then do the same thing tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. And the next day…

The immortal John Updike once said, ‘Some of the best books in the world were written in an hour a day.’

I disagree. You can do it in 30 minutes.”

Read the rest of this post on Elizabeth Gilbert’s website.