James Clear: why I write

A few years ago James Clear, blogger and author of Atomic Habits, shared what he had come to see as his primary motivation for writing. Writing had become, for him, a way to take a stand for the things he believed in. A way to be a leader.

For over a year, I didn’t have the courage to share my work. I wrote in a private document. I played it safe and tried to shield my words from criticism and judgment.

Eventually, I decided that it was more important to contribute something to the world than it was to protect myself from criticism. I started to see being a writer as a way of being a leader by taking a stand for the things I believed in, sharing my mission, and rallying the people who believed the same things I believed.

But the more I do it, the more I am beginning to see writing as a form of leadership.

And not just that, writing is leadership at scale. I have come to realize that if I’m serious about making an impact with my work, about helping as many people as possible, and about putting a small dent in my corner of the universe — writing will carry my work and ideas further than just about anything else.

James Clear