5 inspiring lessons from Isaac Asimov, author of more than 500 books
Habits and mindset to achieve the unthinkable
🏷️ Categories: Writing, Life lessons, Creativity
Isaac Asimov is one of the most prolific and versatile writers in history.
During his lifetime he wrote more than 500 books, some 9,000 letters, and hundreds of magazine articles. Many of his archives are in the Boston University library; they occupy more than 60 meters of shelves. He has written science fiction, mystery novels, short stories, comics, plays, and nonfiction works on astronomy, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, history, literature, religion, and much more.
How did he accomplish such a feat?
When reading Asimov's biography, I noticed that he had a very unique way of looking at writing and habits that made him so prolific.
These are the 5 most inspiring lessons we can learn from Isaac Asimov.
1. Never stop learning
To have good ideas you have to consume good ideas.
He had a PhD in chemistry, but that was only the beginning of his education. Asimov read tirelessly on whatever subject captured his interest and strove to understand the subject so well that he could write about it. He was a polymath and this enriched his work by bringing concepts together in unique ways (Nissani, 1997).
Read everything, let curiosity guide you.
Never stop investing in yourself.
2. Don't stop
In an interview, Asimov said that he was never stopped by a creative block.
Shocked, the interviewer asked him how that was possible. Asimov laughingly replied that, if the words didn't come out, he would leave the project temporarily and move on to another. He always had several active projects, which gave him flexibility depending on his mood and inspiration. While on a project, he gave his mind time to generate new ideas and overcome the creative block.
In his own words: ‘I don't look at blank sheets of paper, I leave one thing and get on with another. Fortunately, I always have several projects on my hands. (Asimov, 1985).
His mentality resonated with me. If you notice, it's the indirect procrastination technique I started using in my college years and shared with you some time ago.
If the road is blocked, find an alternative route, but don't stop walking.
3. Do more and review less
Fear of criticism and perfectionism cannot hold you back.
Asimov had insecurities, but he developed a peculiar mindset. Instead of seeking perfection in every sentence he wrote, he understood that writing was a process that did not end at the end of each book, it continued throughout his life and he just had to keep striving and write more, which is what he loved to do.
First he would write everything he imagined, then he would revise. He didn't edit the work when he was writing, he revised the final result (Asimov, 1973).
If you write, be prepared for imperfection and correct your result, not your process.
4. Do something you can maintain
No feat is achieved instantly, you will need time.
Asimov was once asked what he would most like to be remembered for in the future, whether it was how prolific he was or how well he wrote. Asimov replied: ‘I doubt if anyone will say I'm a great writer, I hope they will say, “here's a fellow who really enjoyed writing, because many other writers I know suffer from writing, but I don't”’ (Asimov, 1985).
That detail is the key.
His enormous passion for writing meant that he was never discouraged and never wanted to give it up. Success, fame, fortune... are by-products of achieving excellence and enjoying what we love. They are the consequence, not the goal. Asimov studied as if he was going to live forever and wrote as if every day was his last (Nichols, 1997).
That made him happy, everything else was a by-product.
He did not start writing at the age of 11 to become rich or famous (Asimov, 2002).
5. If you don't commit something, everything distracts you.
In today's world, possibilities tend to be infinite, but life is finite.
Asimov found an enormous source of satisfaction in writing from an early age, which made him write and enjoy the process immensely. He was not a pianist, or an astronaut, or a footballer, or a painter. He was a writer and he limited himself to that.
Limiting himself is a way of growing, and it is because he abandoned all other possibilities that he achieved excellence in writing.
Most of us have many goals and we are afraid to limit ourselves to a few.
The longer you practice piano, the less time you have to paint.
The longer you write, the less time you have to train in the gym.
The longer you study economics, the less time you have to study philosophy.
The fewer goals you have at the same time, the greater your progress in each of them.
Asimov just wanted to write.
✍️ Your turn: What lesson from Isaac Asimov will you apply from today?
Quote of the day: ‘I write when I am doing nothing else, and I don't like to do anything else’. Isaac Asimov.
See you soon! Take care 😊
References 📚
Asimov, I. (1973). The Early Asimov Or, Eleven Years of Trying.
Asimov, I. (1985). Isaac Asimov's interview with Charlie Rose [Vídeo]. YouTube.
Asimov, I. (2002). It’s Been a Good Life.
Nichols, L. (1997). Isaac Asimov: Man of 7,560,000 Words. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/03/23/lifetimes/asi-v-profile.html
Nissani, M. (1997). Ten cheers for interdisciplinarity: The case for interdisciplinary knowledge and research. The Social Science Journal, 34(2), 201-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0362-3319(97)90051-3
Boston University. Isaac Asimov collection | Boston University ArchivesSpace. https://archivesspace.bu.edu/repositories/9/resources/589