Olivia O’Ryan—Author
@oliviaoryanwrites.bsky.social
Writer/author—interested in authorship, author business, productivity, procrastination, building community and audience. Author of THE 20-MINUTE WRITING HABIT. https://oliviaoryan.myflodesk.com/free-tips
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Ok introductions. Hi, I’m Olivia, and I used to work in corporate as a process documenter/engineer in relation to productivity.
I wanted to branch out into writing because as I quickly discovered in my career, the act/art of writing itself is a peculiar process and not one that can be “machined”.
I wanted to branch out into writing because as I quickly discovered in my career, the act/art of writing itself is a peculiar process and not one that can be “machined”.
What does your ideal writing routine look like? Not the Instagram version—the real one. The sustainable one you could maintain for years.
January 17, 2026 at 4:35 AM
What does your ideal writing routine look like? Not the Instagram version—the real one. The sustainable one you could maintain for years.
You don't need motivation. You need a system that works when motivation doesn't. Habits carry you when feelings fail.
January 17, 2026 at 3:58 AM
You don't need motivation. You need a system that works when motivation doesn't. Habits carry you when feelings fail.
The obstacle: 'I'm too tired.' The solution: Write badly. Tired writing is still writing. Some of my best work came from exhausted honesty.
January 17, 2026 at 2:55 AM
The obstacle: 'I'm too tired.' The solution: Write badly. Tired writing is still writing. Some of my best work came from exhausted honesty.
What boundary could you set to protect your 20 minutes? No phone? Closed door? Headphones? What would help you claim that space?
January 17, 2026 at 1:22 AM
What boundary could you set to protect your 20 minutes? No phone? Closed door? Headphones? What would help you claim that space?
Reposted by Olivia O’Ryan—Author
Most people overestimate what they can do in a month and underestimate what they can do in a year. Zoom out. Think in quarters and years, not weeks.
January 16, 2026 at 5:08 PM
Most people overestimate what they can do in a month and underestimate what they can do in a year. Zoom out. Think in quarters and years, not weeks.
Time management isn't about finding time—it's about defending it. Protecting those 20 minutes like they matter, because they do.
January 16, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Time management isn't about finding time—it's about defending it. Protecting those 20 minutes like they matter, because they do.
If you wrote one page a day, you'd have 365 pages in a year. One page. That's it. Not a chapter. Not perfection. One page.
January 16, 2026 at 5:31 AM
If you wrote one page a day, you'd have 365 pages in a year. One page. That's it. Not a chapter. Not perfection. One page.
What are you avoiding by not writing? Sometimes the resistance tells us exactly what we need to explore.
January 16, 2026 at 4:19 AM
What are you avoiding by not writing? Sometimes the resistance tells us exactly what we need to explore.
You don't need a writing retreat. You need 20 minutes and a door that closes. Magic happens in ordinary moments, not just mountaintop experiences.
January 16, 2026 at 3:31 AM
You don't need a writing retreat. You need 20 minutes and a door that closes. Magic happens in ordinary moments, not just mountaintop experiences.
The obstacle: Perfectionism. The solution: Lower your standards for the first draft. Give yourself permission to be terrible. You can fix terrible.
January 16, 2026 at 2:50 AM
The obstacle: Perfectionism. The solution: Lower your standards for the first draft. Give yourself permission to be terrible. You can fix terrible.
Waiting for the perfect moment? This is it. Right now. Messy and imperfect and gloriously ordinary. This moment is the only one you have.
January 16, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Waiting for the perfect moment? This is it. Right now. Messy and imperfect and gloriously ordinary. This moment is the only one you have.
What story lives in you that only you can tell? The one shaped by your specific experience, your particular wounds, your unique perspective?
January 15, 2026 at 5:44 AM
What story lives in you that only you can tell? The one shaped by your specific experience, your particular wounds, your unique perspective?
Discipline isn't rigid. It's showing up even when the muse doesn't. It's choosing the work when inspiration takes the day off.
January 15, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Discipline isn't rigid. It's showing up even when the muse doesn't. It's choosing the work when inspiration takes the day off.
Write before you check your phone. Your thoughts deserve to come first. Let your own voice be the first one you hear today.
January 15, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Write before you check your phone. Your thoughts deserve to come first. Let your own voice be the first one you hear today.
What would you create if failure wasn't an option? If you knew it would turn out exactly as you hoped? Now create it anyway.
January 15, 2026 at 2:33 AM
What would you create if failure wasn't an option? If you knew it would turn out exactly as you hoped? Now create it anyway.
The obstacle: 'I'll write when I have more time.' The truth: You'll never have more time. Life doesn't get less busy. Start now.
January 15, 2026 at 12:31 AM
The obstacle: 'I'll write when I have more time.' The truth: You'll never have more time. Life doesn't get less busy. Start now.
Morning pages aren't about quality—they're about clearing the fog so you can see. Write to think. Write to process. Write to wake up.
January 14, 2026 at 5:08 AM
Morning pages aren't about quality—they're about clearing the fog so you can see. Write to think. Write to process. Write to wake up.
What routine could you build around 20 minutes of writing? Before coffee? During lunch? After the kids sleep? Find the pocket that's yours.
January 14, 2026 at 4:00 AM
What routine could you build around 20 minutes of writing? Before coffee? During lunch? After the kids sleep? Find the pocket that's yours.
Time management myth: You need a full hour to make progress. Truth: 20 focused minutes beats distracted hours every single time.
January 14, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Time management myth: You need a full hour to make progress. Truth: 20 focused minutes beats distracted hours every single time.
Productivity isn't about hustle. It's about rhythm. Find yours. Some write at dawn. Some at midnight. There's no wrong time—only your time.
January 14, 2026 at 2:31 AM
Productivity isn't about hustle. It's about rhythm. Find yours. Some write at dawn. Some at midnight. There's no wrong time—only your time.
What if 20 minutes was enough? What if you didn't need hours of uninterrupted time? What if small, consistent effort was the answer all along?
January 14, 2026 at 1:24 AM
What if 20 minutes was enough? What if you didn't need hours of uninterrupted time? What if small, consistent effort was the answer all along?
You can't edit a blank page. Write the bad sentence. You'll fix it later. The worst thing you can write is nothing at all.
January 13, 2026 at 5:55 AM
You can't edit a blank page. Write the bad sentence. You'll fix it later. The worst thing you can write is nothing at all.
The page doesn't judge you. You do. The blinking cursor isn't mocking you—it's waiting patiently for whatever you have to offer.
January 13, 2026 at 4:12 AM
The page doesn't judge you. You do. The blinking cursor isn't mocking you—it's waiting patiently for whatever you have to offer.
What does your inner critic say when you sit down to write? Mine says I'm wasting time. That no one cares. I write anyway.
January 13, 2026 at 3:15 AM
What does your inner critic say when you sit down to write? Mine says I'm wasting time. That no one cares. I write anyway.
'I don't have time' often means 'I don't have permission.' Give yourself permission. You don't need anyone else's approval to write.
January 13, 2026 at 2:22 AM
'I don't have time' often means 'I don't have permission.' Give yourself permission. You don't need anyone else's approval to write.