Experimenting with writing every week
Whether short or long, I’ve decided to build the discipline to publish an article every week. My accountability partner encouraged me by saying that it won’t be good all the time and I just have to accept that some weeks will be bad.
After a month of writing, I’ve found that:
- It gets easier. Just like running, I started to look forward to doing it rather than seeing it as another chore. Ideas are quick to list down, but fleshing out an article takes time.
- Once a week is a manageable target and feels natural to me. I don’t feel like I’m saturating the world of content online. There are a lot of tips floating around online, but I’ve decided to follow what feels authentic and not forced.
- The learnings I get from reading a lot of articles are crystallised better. When I try to synthesise what I’ve read across different fields, I tend to remember it better rather than just passively skimming through them.
- I am developing my voice which leads to feeling more confidence in all aspects of my life. It’s a welcome side-effect to trying to get my knowledge and reflections into the world.
- It reaches some unexpected audiences. By putting myself out there and taking a risk, it opens my career up to new possibilities of connection and I get to learn more from other people.
One year from now, I hope to make a new list of what I’ve learned or how I’ve changed after writing 52 articles. I plan to analyze which articles are the most read and which gets the most feedback. I also hope to share strategies on how to hit the weekly posting target. Another challenge for me is to write a few articles in Danish.
I write mainly about data and design but also branching out into sustainability and personal development. A few of my writing will be deeply personal such as my annual series on life in my 30s, a challenging decade. Surprisingly, my personal writing has resonated the most with readers. Perhaps because I was able to hit an emotional core. Someday, I will be able to translate that in my professional writing as well.
Would you like to join the weekly writing challenge with me?
