Start daily writing at 3 sentences, 90 seconds
Begin daily externalization with three sentences answering one question ('What am I trying to figure out right now?') for 90 seconds, expanding only after the behavior fires automatically without deliberation.
When This Fires
- Starting a daily externalization/journaling practice from zero
- After a previous journaling practice collapsed from being too ambitious
- When "I want to start writing daily but can't sustain it" describes your experience
- Any minimum-viable-practice context where the goal is habit formation, not output volume
Common Failure Mode
Expanding too quickly because the practice "feels easy." If it feels easy, that's the habit forming — don't disrupt the formation process by making it harder. The 90-second version should feel easy for 3-4 weeks before expansion. Premature expansion kills more writing habits than initial resistance.
The Protocol
(1) After your anchor behavior (Attach daily writing to an existing automatic behavior…), write three sentences answering: "What am I trying to figure out right now?" (2) Set a 90-second timer if needed — stop when it fires, even mid-sentence. (3) Do not judge the output. Do not edit. Do not expand. Three sentences, 90 seconds, done. (4) After 3-4 weeks of consistent automatic firing (you do it without thinking about it): expand to 5 minutes. After another 3-4 weeks: 10 minutes. Each expansion consolidates before the next.