I Wrote 70 Articles This Year, Here’s What I Learned

Stories Matter Typewriter | Suzy Hazelwood | Pexels

When I started out this year, I only planned to write one or two articles per week. They were less about speaking to other people and more about thinking through my own thoughts. Writing articles has had a therapeutic effect on me. It’s a relaxing time where I can think about what I do professionally and how that could be conveyed to someone else. During that process of thinking how to explain my thoughts, I am forced to think about what I believe in myself and more clearly understand how things have worked for me. 

As I continued writing, I realized that I really enjoyed the process and the challenge. I went from 1 or 2 articles to 2 consistently, then 3 and finally accelerated to 1 article every day. I thought it would be overwhelming and stressful to try to come up with an article everyday. It was... at first. Over time it became natural and I’ve found myself thinking of multiple topics throughout the day. I’ve had to start writing them down in the notes app on my iPhone so I don’t forget them.

I’ve learned a lot about writing, about myself, about the internet and other people in the first 4 months of this year.  Here is some of what I’ve learned.

You have to do it for you

There’s an old saying that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. That’s not totally true. There are days where the writing is a little harder and seems like work, but it is so much more enjoyable than many other jobs I’ve done. I enjoy writing and this has been a tremendously good outlet for me, professionally, personally and mentally. I’m more relaxed and start every day feeling great about myself.

My self confidence is improved

Every week day I write an article in the morning. I get up and let my dogs out, make a cup of coffee and sit down to write an article. Once I’ve hit the publish button I’ve completed something. I’m starting out the day with an accomplishment. I’m not starting the day dreading a project I have to work on. Instead I’m getting something checked off my list, even before I start my 9-5. It’s making me feel better about myself and that is boosting my self confidence which is having a positive impact on the rest of my work and personal life. 

Writing an article is like sculpting

Michaelangelo has a famous quote about sculpting. It goes “The sculpture is already complete within the marble block, before I start my work. It is already there. I just have to chisel away the superfluous material.”. This is essentially what I do writing an article every morning. I have a jumble of thoughts and decades of experience in the business world. Putting them down in written format requires me to stop and think through what is and isn’t relevant about that experience. It helps to hone my understanding of what does and doesn’t work. 

Other people do and don’t want to hear what you have to say

When I started writing it was on another site. That site, successadvising.com is still up and I post my articles there too, but the writing felt more personal so I started a blog on google blogger. That site is LeaderLifeline.com. This is where I really accelerated. I felt like I had my own space to talk about whatever I wanted. I shared articles with friends and family and then asked them what they thought. Most of the time, they never bothered to read them. What did happen though, is other people started to read the articles. I learned about Medium and started importing my stories here and really saw an increase in readership, that also drove traffic into other articles. I got fans, followers and comments. While I wrote these articles for myself I found there were other people that appreciated them and wanted to engage about them. Just not the people around me in my personal life. I think that’s great.

Slow and steady wins the race

Like the story of the tortoise and the hare, the tortoise wins the race in writing. It’s not about real easing one viral article and then being a writer. It’s about sitting down, and writing for yourself every day. Little by little, your writing improves, your headlines improve, your choice of images improve. Other people start to notice. At first my articles might get one of two, then double digits, then dozens and dozens. Now it’s very exciting to open my stats and look at how many people read an article the previous day. It’s not a lot but it’s growing and it reinforces that what I’m doing is not only helping me but helping other people too.

You can do it anywhere

I’m currently sitting on a balcony in a hotel in a town founded almost 600 years ago. In front of me is a wide boulevard and beyond that is an ocean bay filled with sailboats. Next to me is a cup of coffee and my beautiful wife. The wind is softly blowing through the palms and the sun is shining on my face. In my lap is my iPad where I’m tapping out this article. I typically write at home, but this week, I’m on vacation and I still have everything I need to be productive. The world is a different place today than it was just a few short years ago. We’ve learned in the last year that so much work can be done from anywhere. Don’t let your location, the time of day or what you have to do later, be a roadblock to your writing. I’ve learned they might be hurled that require a little creativity but you can still get it done. 

Are you working on something right now and not sure how to start, or hitting a roadblock? Are you struggling with consistency or worried about what others might think?  Tell me your story. I want to hear it! Please post below or contact me!