Anthony Trollope was a 19th-century English writer. Throughout his life, he published over sixty books and an impressive collection of letters and short stories. He did that on top of a full-time job at the postal services.
His childhood and young adulthood didn’t appear promising:
- His classmates bullied him at school.
- He failed his bar exam even though his father was a lawyer.
- He fled to Belgium to avoid money lenders when his farming venture was unsuccessful.
- He had a poor reputation for being late and insubordinate while working at the London post office.
But things began to turn in 1841. Trollope transferred to Ireland for a new postal assignment. Around this time, Trollope explored becoming a writer.
Every morning Trollope would write for a couple of hours, in 15-minute increments, before heading to the post office. He aimed at 250 words every 15 minutes.
He kept this routine for decades. It made a difference.
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When I first read Trollope’s story a couple of years ago, it inspired me to set small, effort-based goals.
I used to set multiple ambitious goals on a given day, like “finish an article” or “file taxes.” I would get frustrated at the end of the day when I couldn’t get even one thing done.
Now my goals are simpler: “write for 20 minutes” or “work on taxes for half an hour.” They are independent of the outcome. I find it easier to focus on the task at hand and get into the flow. Working on projects this way has become less stressful and more enjoyable.
Trollope’s method has also inspired me to go on short walks.
Every day I stroll around the neighborhood for 15 minutes. It has done wonders for my mental health. Sometimes Youali teases me and says, “You are back from the walk already? You just went out.” It’s lovely.