How to Break Writer's Block (The Secret to Get What You Want) — Daily Persuasion Ep. 220

Would you like to write a persuasive BOOK? One that changes minds and influencers behavior for years to come? Start with a GOLDEN book idea. Let NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Joshua Lisec teach you: https://lisecghostwriting.com/golden

ABOUT TODAY'S EPISODE:

What if the secret to getting what you want… is to stop trying so hard to get it?

That’s the surprising but transformative idea in Episode 220 of Daily Persuasion: “How to Break Writer’s Block (The Secret to Get What You Want)” with Joshua Lisec. In this episode, Lisec challenges our assumptions—not just about writing, but about winning, trying, and what it means to create anything of value.

If you’ve ever faced writer’s block, or felt stuck in any creative process, this episode is for you. Joshua Lisec, bestselling author, ghostwriter of nearly 100 nonfiction books, and the mind behind Daily Persuasion, reveals how breaking our frame—that is, disrupting the mental habits we cling to—can be the key to breakthroughs.

This isn’t just writing advice for beginners. It’s a total mindset reframe. Lisec proposes a mental exercise: What would happen if you tried not to win? What if you tried to lose? What if you stopped trying altogether?

This seemingly paradoxical approach gets to the heart of The Secret to Get What You Want—which often lies in disrupting our fixed routines, our expectations, and the rigid stories we tell ourselves about how success “should” look. When it comes to writers block, most people assume they need more motivation, more willpower, or more time. But what if the answer is less effort, not more?

Lisec illustrates this through the unexpected success of the carnivore diet featured in the bestseller Stay Off My Operating Table by Dr. Philip Ovadia—a book Lisec himself ghostwrote. The mainstream says plant-based is best. But what if the opposite—an all-meat diet—is actually better for certain people? Ovadia’s clinic has seen this contrarian approach deliver stunning health turnarounds. It’s a clear example of how breaking our habits and doing the opposite of what we assume is “good” can produce life-changing results.

That same principle applies to creativity. If your usual strategy to beat writer’s block is to “push through” or “try harder,” maybe the real fix is to step back, flip your thinking, and ask what the opposite of your current approach would look like. That question alone can unlock dormant ideas, deeper clarity, and surprising progress.

And yes—there’s persuasion at play here, too. This episode is packed with real-world persuasion techniques and persuasion psychology, especially as they relate to how we persuade ourselves to create, take action, and try new things. Whether you’re writing, selling, negotiating, or simply trying to make better decisions, you’ll find persuasion examples that resonate.

Expect to learn:
• How The Secret to Get What You Want often lies in flipping your assumptions
• Why Dr. Philip Ovadia’s Stay Off My Operating Table contradicts common health advice—and wins
• What to do when you hit writer’s block and your old tools aren’t working
• How breaking our frame unlocks new options in business, writing, and persuasion
• Why the best writing advice for beginners is to stop forcing and start inverting
• How to use counterintuitive persuasive techniques to motivate yourself and others

And yes—you’ll even learn how asking “What would happen if I tried to lose?” might be the fastest way to win. That’s Joshua Lisec’s brilliance on full display: giving you tools that aren’t just useful, but deeply practical for life and work.

Watch Daily Persuasion Ep. 220: How to Break Writer’s Block (The Secret to Get What You Want) now—and let us know in the comments what “opposite” idea you’re ready to try today.