Back in 2019, when I first started writing for the first time, it was a daily task. I don't remember what convinced me to follow the post on product hunt to arrive at 200WordsAday.com. I believe it was on Jan 2 2019 that I started writing.
At first, it was so hard to decide what to write about, how to write it and how much to open up. The focus was on just writing. I didn't expect people to read or that I would get this obsessed about the streak. But quickly, there was a little community of people with similar interests showing up daily. The #teamstreakers found each other soon enough. And so did the people that could relate to topics and ideas being shared.
At that time, I considered myself to be building a habit. I expected to write for at least 7 years like Seth Godin to reach any level of expertise. So my expectations of my own writing skill was low.
Gradually, as people started to read and comment on my posts, I started to be more deliberate about my writing. I started to not want to disappoint people. I most definitely started to get addicted to getting comments and compliments. I remember telling myself that I escaped from FB and it's notifications but invited a worse type of addiction that feeds my ego in an unexpected way.
I recall writing a post sharing this view titled 'Addictions' and sharing how it felt unhealthy. The part I didn't realize was how that same urge for recognition and compliments also pushed me to improve my writing. I started to focus on the topics I wanted to learn. I started to be more deliberate about the books I read. More deliberate about what I did with the books I read. And so I raised the quality of my daily practice. It wasn't just about the streak.
Similarly, with writing here, I restarted with the streak. I knew that the streak habit is what will push me to elevate my writing. Then as I recalled the topics I wanted to get better at, and I joined the writing class and I joined #teamStreak, and I revisited my old writing, I felt myself getting to the deliberate practice phase. I find myself taking time to work on things like humor, brevity and descriptions so I can create a piece that I am proud of. After all, I am a writer.
At first, it was so hard to decide what to write about, how to write it and how much to open up. The focus was on just writing. I didn't expect people to read or that I would get this obsessed about the streak. But quickly, there was a little community of people with similar interests showing up daily. The #teamstreakers found each other soon enough. And so did the people that could relate to topics and ideas being shared.
At that time, I considered myself to be building a habit. I expected to write for at least 7 years like Seth Godin to reach any level of expertise. So my expectations of my own writing skill was low.
Gradually, as people started to read and comment on my posts, I started to be more deliberate about my writing. I started to not want to disappoint people. I most definitely started to get addicted to getting comments and compliments. I remember telling myself that I escaped from FB and it's notifications but invited a worse type of addiction that feeds my ego in an unexpected way.
I recall writing a post sharing this view titled 'Addictions' and sharing how it felt unhealthy. The part I didn't realize was how that same urge for recognition and compliments also pushed me to improve my writing. I started to focus on the topics I wanted to learn. I started to be more deliberate about the books I read. More deliberate about what I did with the books I read. And so I raised the quality of my daily practice. It wasn't just about the streak.
Similarly, with writing here, I restarted with the streak. I knew that the streak habit is what will push me to elevate my writing. Then as I recalled the topics I wanted to get better at, and I joined the writing class and I joined #teamStreak, and I revisited my old writing, I felt myself getting to the deliberate practice phase. I find myself taking time to work on things like humor, brevity and descriptions so I can create a piece that I am proud of. After all, I am a writer.
I do feel like you and I have hit a new stride with writing though. More deliberate and enjoyable. More motivated by longterm improvement. Difficult to describe while we're in it right now but in retrospect it'll be more clear.
It's interesting to read your side of the story.
And thank you
I think the only time your writing suffers is when you lacked a open space of time on that given day.
On those days you write things that are just descriptions or lists and those posts are less quality. But whenever you show up as a writer rather than an explainer or listmaker it's gold.
Lol Sir Abe - I love making lists :)