👋🏻 Hi friends,

I have been thinking about this one book a lot in the past few weeks. Maybe because it's one of the books that has drastically improved my life. It's, of course, the one and only Atomic Habits by James Clear.​

And If I had to pick one takeaway from this masterpiece, it would be the power of the 1 percent improvement.
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Clear argues that making minor, incremental improvements daily is the key to achieving long-term success.
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​He calls this the "1% rule."​
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The idea is that if you can consistently improve by just 1% each day, you will make massive progress over time.
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For example, if you can improve your sales skills by 1% each day, you will be 37 times better after one year than when you started.
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​The 1% rule is a simple but powerful concept.​
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Here are some examples of how I apply the 1% rule to different areas of my life:
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➡️ Health: I try to improve my posture or lift heavier weights when I go to the gym. It doesn't have to be a massive improvement. Just 1 percent every time I go to the gym.
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➡️ Writing: Every time I sit down to write, I look at my sentence structures and see if I can make them better. Maybe I should divide them in two or get rid of the adverbs. I also make sure to write every day to keep improving.
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➡️ Music: I play the violin at a community orchestra and a quartet. The violin is a complex instrument; every day I practice, I ask myself how can I improve today? Maybe I should focus on my bow technique or improve my ear by using a tuner to ensure all notes are in tune.
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➡️ Relationships: How can I be a better mom, a friend, a daughter, and a wife? Maybe, I should focus on listening rather than responding. Perhaps I should make eye contact with my kids when I ask them how their day was.
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When people look at you and see overnight success, most likely, they are mistaken.
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The change didn't happen overnight.
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It compounded over many days of 1 percent improvement.
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​How do you improve daily?

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P.S.: ​My cohort on "Monetizing your writing" starts July 10 - July 28. All you have to do this click here and enroll. Here is a link to my calendar if you want to jump on a quick call to go through your questions or concerns.

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🖼️ Photo of the week

🤩 Things that wowed me

👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Community: If you are a freelancer who wants to connect to like-minded peers and belong to a supportive community that provides you not only with guidance but also with playbooks that help you grow your craft, then sign up for Pollen which just launched last week. I'm proud to be one of their founding members, having written a guide on pitching. Sign up for Pollen here.​

🎥 YouTube: My favorite book Tuber Jack Edwards has received an exciting book mail: the long list for this year's Women's Prize for Fiction. He unboxes it live, shows the viewers the covers, and reads the descriptions.

🎙Podcast: If you want to start your own business, then you have to listen to this podcast on the Diary of CEO in which Shopify president says you can become a millionaire for the price of a Starbucks coffee!

📚 Book: I highly recommend the book "The Pathless Path" by Paul Millerd, especially if you are someone who is thinking about quitting the 9-5 rat race. Drawing from ancient wisdom and contemporary insights, Millerd offers ways to navigate this non-traditional path and discover a deeply fulfilling existence.

✍🏻 Quote:

🎬 The YouTube experiment

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​Aiden Adams is eight years old. He is a singer-songwriter and an author. He was four years old when he wrote his first book, There Are No Sheep in New York City, about the power of imagination.

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I had a wonderful time chatting with him.

🎬 Watch our conversation and tell your kids about Aiden.
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✍🏻 Content creation

In the past few weeks, I have published several essays. Here are some highlights:

• ​How I use AI and other tools to ghostwrite memoirs: Ghostwriting is one of my lucrative gigs. See what tools I use.
• ​I don't believe in writer's block: Read why I think writer's block is a myth and that it is possible to overcome any obstacle that prevents you from writing.
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Are you looking for a content writer for your company's blog or publication? Let's chat. Email me at: natasha@natashastynes.com ​.com​

Monetize your writing cohort is open for enrollment

​Enrollment is open again for my July's three-week live cohort, "Monetize your writing." You might want to consider joining if you want to find writing gigs across the globe, connect with editors and prospects, and see your name in print or online.

Here are some key outcomes of the cohort:

• ✍️ Create pitches that get results.
• 💰 Set your rate and make income from your writing.
• 🖥️ Organize your freelance writing life.

The course will include live sessions by yours truly, in addition to guest appearances that feature the best in the industry.

​ Grab your spot before the seats sell out.

Connect with me

Do you need help with your digital media strategy? Are you looking for someone to write your newsletter? Are you trying to get published and looking for a book coach to guide you through the murky world of publishing? Do you need a ghostwriter?
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Let's chat!

Email me at natasha@natashastynes.com ​

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