I Published Once a Week for A Month
Here’s what happened.
1. I accepted that my first drafts would be shite
One of the challenges I had was that it took me a long time to write and publish the next article. There is a voice in my head that doubts if I could repeat it — write and publish.
So this time around, I ignored that voice. I just said fuck it. Whenever I drafted something. I just wrote and accepted that drafts would be shite by nature. I would write to pour my heart and thoughts out then I’ll see if there is anything there, I could use for a more polished article.
I realised that most of the time, yes, the drafts were seriously shit, but they contained multiple ideas I could break down and re-use for one or more articles!
2. I left my phone in the other room
I realised that my phone is a significant distraction. Duh! I know I hear you say it, but why is a phone distraction acceptable these days? You wouldn’t want to be interrupted face-to-face if you’re doing a wee in the toilet and yet it’s OK for our phones to beep while we’re doing our private business?
When I left my phone in the other room, I realised it prevented me from making my almost automatic response of checking my messages, FB, Instagram nearly every 10 mins. Not to mention the random emails, or updates that beep at me throughout the day.
I feel lighter and freer without a phone around. It helped me focus on blocks of time that I have allocated to write.
3. I edited and no sentences were sacred
I removed sentences and paragraphs like a woman on a mission! None of it sacred to me. If the words and sentences came out once, then they can go again if needed in the future.
I realised that I enjoyed editing and re-writing. It felt like putting together a puzzle, like debugging a code, like a problem begging to be solved and I’m hooked!
4. I made time to write no matter how I felt in the day
Like a daily standup, I had to turn up to — I made a schedule for me to write daily. It’s not a complicated one. Every Tuesday night, after putting my little one to bed, I would write a draft. On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, I would edit. On Monday mornings, I would publish. I will rest on Monday nights and then do it all over again.
At times I found that ideas come easily, and an article would get done quickly. Some days my thoughts are lacking, long days at work, the toddler didn’t sleep — you know life happens. I found the schedule helped keep myself honest, even if I spent as short as five minutes writing, I can say I did what I had to do today.
5. I hit the published button no matter what
I made a rule for myself that I would publish rain, hail or shine. I’m going to let my (writing)balls hang out and hit that publish button!
Despite publications accepting it or not, I’ll do it.
Despite that there may not be claps on it, I’ll do it.
Despite no view, I’ll do it.
I’ll do it because I realised the reason I write.
I write for me, to know my soul and to make sense of the world around me.
