Intensity vs. consistency? What the research says is best. (AKA: The 20 Mile March)

A social media post grabbed my attention when a fellow writer mentioned her tendency to do intense stretches of writing, followed by periods of needing to crash and recover from burnout. In this post, I share what the research says is best regarding intensity vs. consistency and how an idea dubbed The 20 Mile March applies to writers and other creatives.

This article was sparked by that social media post because I recognized my younger self her note. My mind then jumped to compelling research that changed my perspective. Today, I want to share a gem from the Jim Collins book Great by Choice. In it, Collins and his research team explore how great companies manage uncertainty. They dubbed one principle, The 20 Mile March, and it stuck with me. The takeaway is that great companies are consistent in their efforts. It is akin to what James Clear writes about in Atomic Habits.

What is the 20 Mile March?

Imagine you set out to walk across the United States. You complete 20 miles each day whether the going is difficult or easy. You get it done even when you are exhausted, but you also stop even if you still have a spring in your step.

If you follow this plan, research shows that your strategy will handily beat someone whose daily miles are more erratic. The tortoise beats the hare in distance races.

The most memorable story Collins writes about in Great By Choice is that of two expedition parties who raced to plant their country’s flag on the South Pole. The two leaders were Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott in 1911.

Amundsen was known for impeccable planning to account for contingencies. His strategies for risk management provide lessons for us all in uncertain times. In addition, he led with the discipline to follow a 20 Mile March philosophy. His team set out to cover a rough equivalent of 20 miles regardless of the weather. In contrast, the losing team would often push themselves to exhaustion on good days, and in bad weather, they huddled in their tents and cursed nature.

Amundsen’s team planted their flag five weeks ahead of the others. They then sailed into their home Norwegian port on the exact day planned.

Scott’s team…died.

Roald Amundsen is a prime example of the 20 Mile March as outlined in Great by Choice, by Jim Collins

Above: Roald Amundsen

The 20 Mile March for writers

I’ve noticed a similar pattern in many other successful creatives. Well, hopefully, death is not involved. But examples abound of professionals completing their versoin of a 20 Mile March each day. Stephen King famously writes every day including his birthday and Christmas. He then goes for a walk. Another author Steven Pressfield has a similar habit. I read Haruki Murakami’s memoir last year, and his discipline is to write for 4-5 hours every day, followed by a run.

It seems that a stretch of 4-5 hours each day is about the stamina limit for a flow state. This tracks what I can do, too. Admittedly, my stretches are not always for writing because sometimes other business priorities need that stretch of time, but this chunk is my goal.

Do you write every day, or only when inspiration strikes?

Another famous example comes from William Faulkner, who was asked if he writes each day or only on inspiration. He then quipped, “I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes at nine every morning.”

Professionals like Faulkner get words on the page regularly, even if only for an hour. The takeaway? Successful artists—true professionals—differentiate themselves from amateurs and hobbyists by working consistently.

I started a one-hour writing habit when I had a demanding day job and an infant in tow

This is a habit I adopted when I still had a day job, waking each morning before work to get in an hour of writing while my baby slept in a bouncy chair. Establishing that habit allowed me to take on writing projects and grow. my skills. Before long, demand had grown into a full-time business.

A 20 Mile March means having the discipline to stop each day

It probably does not surprise you that there is great value in working every day. I already knew that, and I have built that habit over time.

Here what changed my mindset.

I needed to gain the discipline to STOP working after accomplishing a day’s effort. I have too often lacked the good sense to call it quits when I should, pushing past the point of diminishing returns and paying for it with my health.

In the past, I’ve foolishly thought my energy would be inexhaustible. I have also figured I could slack off some days and make up for it by doing a full-on sprint when faced with a deadline. This would lead me to work so hard I’d figuratively puke at the finish line, finding myself needing to crash for a while afterward.

Research shows that overall output will be less with this modus operandi.

Perhaps because I am not as young as I once was, I now realize how finite time and energy are. These are precious resources that are worth metering. Energy can reset each day when not fully depleted, but days are not endless.

One effect of adopting The 20 Mile March idea is learning to carefully make tradeoffs and focus on what matters most.

How this mindset shift looked in a recent period of intense work

If you’ll indulge me, I’d now like to share some perspective from the past seven months.

Last July, right before leaving for a camping trip, my publisher gave me the happy news that both of my books would come in the fall. Creative Insecurity had already been scheduled for a December 10 launch, but A Child In Berlin would be fast-tracked to October 28.

I about fell off my chair.

Then, I sucked in a deep breath and wondered how I could possibly pull it off. When would I come up for air? Realistically, I knew it wouldn’t be until after RootsTech in March.

That is exactly how it played out, and then some. I haven’t taken a full day off from work since then.

But I’m healthy and grateful. The happy problem I faced was that the book tours and media campaigns took off more than anybody expected. A mentor once advised me to “Go where the energy is.” His words came back to me during this time, as I chose to ride that timely wave of energy into the shore, not dividing my attention, and not wiping out prematurely.

These past seven months have demonstrated the effect that the 20 Mile March mindset had on me. Throughout this time, I regularly reminded myself that this is a long-distance trek and not an Olympic sprint. The goal is to be an Amundsen. I wanted to arrive home safely and not be martyred to the cause. And so that is how it has gone; I’m still alive despite it being even more intense than expected.

Breaks and self-care built into a long trek

I should note that this period of life has not only been physically demanding on my time, but emotionally draining. Speaking with the media and doing public-facing work turned out to be more fun than expected, but it is also vulnerable. I was hyper-aware of my need for recovery after each encounter, even when they went well.

Long-term success also meant keeping a healthy morning routine and building breaks into the schedule. The first break happens when I emerge at lunchtime to feed my animals and step outside for fresh air and sunshine, whenever I can get it. I also started a new habit of taking afternoon tea breaks when my daughter comes home from school. Then, I pause for dinner with my family each evening. I usually return to my desk for an hour or two after that. But when it is time to go to bed, I do so, prioritizing sleep.

Even my attendance at RootsTech this year kept a similar pace. I only taught one class and slept longer after a 12-hour day. I made tradeoffs about what I wouldn’t have time to do, and not trying to be everywhere.

The week after RootsTech, I traveled to teach an in-person workshop in Santa Barbara. It could have been exhausting, and I could have gotten sick from the airplane and being run down. But instead, it was the opposite, fun and rejuvenating. When asked by my hosts, “What do you want to do?” I resisted the urge to please and instead gave an honest answer that prioritized self-care: “The only thing I care about doing while here is sitting to meditate on the beach with the sun on my face.”

And so I did. I breathed and got completely lost. It felt blissful to return to a state of ” mind like water,” clear and empty.

Intense focus means making tradeoffs

That’s not to say my life is perfectly in balance. It’s not. Some fires put themselves out, but others need attention. In learning to stop at the end of each day, something must give. In Gary Keller’s book The One Thing, he says we must accept a certain amount of chaos in other areas when we focus energy. I know of this chaos well. There have been real tradeoffs and costs these past months. I’ve had to accept that many tasks may not get done on a given day or week—others not at all.

Prioritzing long-term health

But do you know what has improved? My health. When RootsTech ended this year, I was not trashed like in years past. I didn’t get sick before or after. I also didn’t get sick during the holidays or in January. Contrast that with around 2020 when I caught every cold my daughter brought home from school and I had COVID three times over a two-year period. (Knock on wood about my health. I know how fast things can change for people, and what is not in our control).

As a result of the 20 Mile March habit, my books are getting done. It feels like the flywheel is turning in my business. My creative tank remains full. Yes, now it’s time to shift to other priorities. I will approach these with a similar focus.

Trust me: if I can do this, you can too

If you are struggling to find your pace, please take heart. I am a naturally undisciplined person (both in consistency and stopping at the end of the day). If I can create better habits, I know you can too.

One final reminder: If you can write just 500-700 words per day, you can complete the first draft of a book in 3-4 months. A whole book! If you can’t write each day, I urge you to set aside time each week to keep your projects warm.

Rhonda Lauritzen is a professional biographer with multiple published books and a regular speaker at conferences. She has an MBA from the University of Utah and served as CEO of her family business, working alongside six brothers. Her writing journey began with her parents’ family business saga, and in 2016, she founded Evalogue.Life. Since then, Rhonda has professionally told the stories of families, cities, and nonprofits. She believes that when you tell your story, it changes the ending. Her latest co-authored book is distributed by Simon & Schuster December 10, 2024: Creative Insecurity: Lean Into the Unknown and Unleash Your Inner Misfit. Another recent book is A Child in Berlin, traditionally published by Post Hill Press.