Day 30

Day 30

This is my 30th day in a row posting at least 100 words on Medium. I still have to do this more than 10 more times, but for right now, it’s an accomplishment. I still haven’t figured out a strict schedule for when I post every day. Sometimes its early in the morning and other times it’s late at night (like now). There was one time, when I missed the midnight deadline by 30 minutes or so. Here are a few things that I learned so far:

1. Writing is hard. Writing should always be hard. If it’s not hard, then your product probably sucks. Some days I’ve challenged myself more than others. I think the harder I’ve worked on a given post directly correlates with the quality of the product. Writing consistently isn’t necesessarily about making writing easier, it’s about training your mind to get used to it. It’s like working out at the gym. Going consistently doesn’t give you a pass to not push yourself. You just get used to the pain. You expect it to be hard. And once your body adapts to a certain workout, you need to challenge yourself more to grow.
2. Writing and rewriting are very different skill sets. This challenge has forced me to get better at writing, but it hasn’t forced me to work on my rewriting (or editing) skills. I’m still trying to decide if I need to adapt a routine that incorporates more editing and rewriting. Once again, the more I rewrite, the happier I am with the final product.
3. Many times, I felt like this was pointless. I kind of do now. I think that’s okay and normal. I hope so. But often times I’ve wondered if this challenge was worth it. Not because it’s too hard, but maybe it’s too easy? I’ve asked myself on multiple occasions if this is the best use of my time. But I said I’m going to do it and I’m going to do it. But that doesn’t mean I can’t switch up how I do it.
4. Having an accountability partner is crucial. I made sure to tell my wife that I’m taking part in this challenge. “Writing my words” is like brushing my teeth — my wife doesn’t want me in bed unless both are done.
5. Reading is essential. Reading is where you get the ideas that you write down. It forces your mind to understand new places and people. It also forces you to make connections. Most importantly, it allows you to see what good writing is. This can also be frustrating because the better the writing you see, the more you feel like you suck. But that’s okay. I think you’re supposed to feel like you suck at this. That means you know what is and isn’t good and you’re working toward being good. It would be problematic if someone just started writing and thought they were amazing and didn’t need to improve.
6. Make it fun. I’ve written about serious things because life is serious. But when I can, I try to incorporate humor into this. It is important to lighten up. Writing about funny things helps do that.

Well that’s all I’ve got so far. Thanks for following me on my journey. I’ll be back at it tomorrow.