It’s been a year already! A few weeks ago, the blog passed the one year mark. After reflecting on my goals for the past year and this coming year, I also wanted to look at the lessons writing in this space has taught me. Here are seven lessons which stand out from the last twelve months.
1. Hit publish.
It’s the only thing which will take you from where you are to where you want to be. Ira Glass has talked about the talent gap and bridging it. Gary Vaynerchuck talks repeatedly about the importance of doing rather than waiting to learn more or find inspiration. They’re right; at the end of the day, you can’t read your way into writing online.
The only way to write posts is to write posts.
The only way to improve is by putting out the less-great work so you can create great work. This blog serves as public documentation of taking action versus talking and wishing.
2. Read a lot. A lot, a lot.
For years I followed the advice to read the kinds of writing you want to produce. It’s good advice, but incomplete. You should read anything and everything you can get your hands on; good, bad, fiction, essays, non-fiction, marketing copy, and comic books alike. Understand the story, yes, but ask questions to understand how the piece is constructed. If it’s excellent, what makes it so great? Is it the opening paragraph or the ending, or maybe the references woven throughout which really speak to you? If the piece is clunky, why is it clunky? Understanding the author’s message and how they built their argument will improve your own writing and thinking, giving you ideas for building better work.
Reading is great for learning about subjects or relaxing into a story, but words and stories are what make us tick as writers.
Not limiting myself to particular kind of writing in my reading has informed my writing structure and emboldened me to draw from all subjects and industries for patterns.
Asking questions about the best way to get from point A to point B has helped me to be clearer in my writing and understand my own writing goals better.
3. Schedule down time.
I’ve always known that it is important to have a separation between work and leisure time, but now I understand how difficult it can be to abide by those boundaries. Yet, it’s become clear to me that most of us need more leisure and hobby time than we would admit. The more I learn about focus and recovery, the more I realize that we should work in focused bursts, like an athlete, and recover in a similar manner.
I’ve learned first hand how difficult it can be to make yourself stop working, even more so when you’re enjoying that work, because you need to spend time with loved ones, or away from an agenda. We all need rest and I’m learning that rest and recovery are what enable me to work. I’ve learned I do best when I have a few hours in the evening to do whatever appeals to me, which means that I need to stay focused earlier in the day to get that my responsibilities done.
Scheduling down time means separating work and leisure time and sticking to it. Each day I write out my goals, along with my cutoff time as a reminder. For weekends or days off, I still write down what I’d like to accomplish that day, even if it’s taking a walk or spending time chatting with loved ones. Planning time for leisure is vital for me in making sure it actually happens. We schedule the things that are important to us. So, I’ve learned to write down calls to make or people to check in with because I want to make sure they happen. I’ve heard people regard planning these kinds of things as “weird”, but I think it’s weird to not make time or efforts for the things that are important to you.
[T]he most important possible thing you can do is do a lot of work — do a huge volume of work.
Ira Glass
4. Set massive goals and take massive action – c/o Grant Cardone’s The 10X Rule
Cardone’s book has shifted my thinking from being reactionary to proactive in all areas of my life. Once I realized that taking radical responsibility for every aspect of my life was the only way to improve anything, meaningful changes started to happen. I’m happier and willing to work harder, more committed to fitness and healthy habits, and much more intent on spending my time well.
Over the last twelve months, I’ve gone from barely maintaining writing daily to writing a minimum of 1,000 words everyday, publishing 10,000’s of words and even getting paid for those blog posts. What made the difference? First, I took action. I created a website* and published my writing and ideas. Second, I allowed those initial steps to create and inform bigger goals for myself. Once I jumped in, I began to realize what I would need to do to publish consistently and do keep ideas flowing and made those things happen. One step leads to the next, and before you know it, you’re covering a lot of new ground.
My website paid for itself in its first year, starting from zero audience and no advertising. That is an amazing win in my book! I started out knowing nothing, and I managed to make some money, essentially getting paid to learn how to write online. That is thrilling to me! I’m not guaranteeing success or money; I’m simply saying you are guaranteed to gain nothing by doing nothing. Getting started made all the difference. Take the first step. You can learn and make corrections along the way.
5. Maintain a routine.
A second aspect of scheduling down time is making it a regular occurrence. After moving twice recently, I’ve learned I do best when I follow a routine. For all the inspiration that comes with days where my routine is shaken up, I’ve found those are also the days where I struggle to get the important things done. It just doesn’t work; I just don’t work well without a sense of pattern and routine.
Perhaps the need for routine is a bit of a disadvantage, but I’ve learned about myself and what helps me be successful, which is invaluable. Some of which are: knowing that I have to get started drafting before 8 am, or it’s unlikely to happen before noon. Understanding I tend to switch tasks more frequently in the afternoon, so I schedule admin and less focused tasks for then, and make that tendency work to my advantage. I’ve also discovered it takes me twice as long to do anything if my materials aren’t in the same place everyday. Knowledge is potential power, and knowing these tendencies has helped me structure my day to be the most productive I can make it.
All this is to say, the more you learn about what does and doesn’t help your work habits, the better prepared you are to get straight to work each morning. Routine has been the key for me.
6. Breaking the day up into shorter segments works for me.
I’ve experimented with several methods and routines to find what works best for my writing. Right now that means scheduling the day into twenty to forty minute segments, based around the task. I draft in forty minute bursts, and edit in twenty or thirty minute chunks. This ensures that I get the writing done, but also move every hour. It’s important to me to strike a balance between writing furiously and stretching or moving regularly. So far, this method is working on both accounts. These smaller segments also allow me focus on one thing at a time, putting everything else aside, as I know I have scheduled time for it.
7. You’ll surprise yourself with the improvements you make by simply showing up regularly.
Echoing my first point, once you get started and continue putting out work, improvements are all but inevitable.
When I decided in September to start writing at least 1,000 words everyday, my output increased by 30%. In the last three months, it’s gone up another 30%. It’s not magic; it’s just math and consistency. When you form the habit of writing and hitting a word count daily, it becomes easier and easier to hit that goal faster. Every post won’t be a winner, but when you continue to show up, things come together. When you focus on improving and writing more clearly, it happens. Quantity produces quality.
Looking ahead
The past year has taught me that the most difficult but important part of any change is simply taking the first step. Once you do that, you can maintain and adjust as necessary. I’m excited to see where this next year leads. Here’s to another year of learning and doing!
*The ease of access on the internet is also a factor here, allowing people to connect faster and more easily than ever before. There has never been a better time to publish online. I’m gathering my thoughts on this exciting time in technology, and will be writing more on this topic later this years.
