Celebrating a Personal Milestone — 27th Story on Medium and How?
Big on Small Wins
#1- Normally, I Exercise a Level of Restraint on My Calorie Intake
I go to the Third Wave Coffee Cafe to write.
To ideate on a story concept and stimulate my writer’s gene. In about 10 minutes of having settled into the space, followed by 5 -10 minutes of people watching, my mind is nice and toasty.
Ready to whip out some crackling ideas. I treat each day as my last whilst working. I give it my all.
I explore options from my repository of ideas. I toss out the wheat from the chaff. Chiselling down the article.
Very soon, a rhythm starts to build. I’m punching my story at the speed of shooting stars. Carefully conscious about the number of calories I consume though.
#2- I Revel in My Writing Time Since I’m Process Driven and Not Outcome Focused
I can go through this whole process over and over again. I love working from the cafe. People watching inspires me. Motivation strikes in unusual ways.
Snippets of conversation within earshot egg me on. Conversations between writers and founders seated on adjacent tables, evoke my innate curiosity.
I am intrinsically curious.
I am a learner at heart.
I love to binge on youtube videos on various topics of interest — astrology, spirituality, consciousness, goal accomplishment, habit stacking, law of vibration, meditation, manifestation et al.
It is so fun to eavesdrop on conversations in the cafe. All whilst working on my own stories.
Listening to conversations within earshot and working on my ideas -both the processes happen organically.
Like a symphony of sorts.
A smorgasbord of terms like, ‘content strategy,’ ‘MVP,’ ‘compelling copy,’ ‘ideation stage,’ stimulate so many different chunks inside my brain.
Different centres begin to light up.
Simultaneously. Instantaneously.
A writer can only write when he/she is stimulated and inspired with a compounding idea bank.
A mind oozing with ideas is a prolific space for you to learn so much about what is happening in the world.
It will have a spillover effect on the page, on the platform you are punching on.
#3- A Different Output if I Would Have Chosen to Operate From The Comfort of My Home
As a writer, if I were to ideate from the comfort of my home, I would very soon have become a frog in my shell-pond.
But hearing snippets of conversations in the cafe, whilst also working on the article, has turned out to be a clincher. It has enabled me to churn out more than 26 articles, many of which have garnered interesting comments and feedback.
So grateful to all the editors of the medium pubs where my writing has found home, fellow writers, and readers that have egged me on- one comment, one clap, one read at a time. I’m in appreciation mode.
All. The. Time.
Thanks y’all.
If I were to punch from the four walls of my room, an element of the monotony I feel within the space would percolate between the lines of the stories. Why would I do that?
Plus, I love to be happy.
And soar high into the sky above. Operating from the cafe gives me that feeling. Detaches me from the ennui of working from home. Of transpiring my inherent optimism onto the stories of medium. To inspire whoever reads these lines. And in turn inject hope into their lives.
#4- The Day I Don’t Go to the Coffee Shop I Feel Like I Have Been Hit By a Bus of Blues
It is not like I can’t work from home. But I enjoy to break away from the monotony looming large around the same boring walls and predictable scenery. I look forward to taking a shower, getting dressed and driving to the cafe to see new faces buzzing with action.
New faces.
Every. Single. Time.
I am able to inject oodles of enthusiasm and optimism in my articles because I feel a dash of joie-de-vivre and exhilaration, in the coffee shop. Everyone needs a process that enables them to permeate into their happy space. The coffee shop is my happy place.
Correction — writing from the coffee shop is my happy space. I’m in my element.
Sometimes, the words don’t come so easy. They have to be coaxed by hanging around in the cafe. By not giving up on my sense of purpose.
#5 — For Me the Process is the Reward
But when I don’t feel like writing, I persist. Gentle does it on some days. A few lines of brain dump, to subtly begin my day with. Followed by a cuppa. Of English Breakfast tea. My favourite flavour of tea in the world. Then I’m suddenly bombarded with inspiration.
I’ve allowed my mind to wander. To catch snippets of conversation. To savour my tea slowly and watch the world go by. To observe the subtle nuances of expressions on people’s faces mid-conversation.
The mind is toasty and ready to deliver — it has come back to me with some gems of ideas. It is in crackling chemistry mode.
The ideas are popping out of my PFC (pre frontal cortex). Through my fingers. Onto the draft.
Love the delicious momentum. Gives me such a high. I punch my stories at lightning speed now. I’m on a roll.
A repository of life’s stories and perspectives, being tapped into instantaneously by my fingers.
A ready bank of first-hand experiences, visits to offbeat, fancy and regular restaurants with my husband. Moments from my mindfulness practise, life lessons, my own tested and tried ‘how-to’s for accomplishing goals, staying on track with habits.
My take on spirituality and the purpose of life.
Why self discipline is the greatest form of self love.
Epiphanies garnered whilst observing synchronicity, paying heed to my intuition, my writing process et al.
All my favourite topics being activated in various centres of the brain. I love the mental stimulation. Exciting and reason for my effervescent exuberance!
Oh, and the beckoning aroma of coffee beans being brewed.
#6- I Decided, ‘What the Heck, It is My 27th Article — Let Me Go ‘Sea Salt Mocha Shake!’
I have been watching my calories and streamlining my eating habits. But I love to celebrate my small wins to propel me to peak productivity moments. Small celebrations lock in the feeling of having ticked off a personal milestone.
To remind me that life is worth celebrating. To etch in my subconscious mind that I’m making a difference to my life. To my days.
Feeling of progress is my joy quotient (JQ). One medium story at a time. The subconscious mind remembers how habit milestones are celebrated.
I did it when I was 10 articles old.
I’m going ‘Sea Salt Mocha Milkshake’ in this moment now.
I couldn’t care less about the calories today.
Wouldn’t y’all say, ‘go celebrate’
You so deserve it, girl!
;)
If you need me for your writing requirements, let me know in the comments section and I shall connect with you. You may consider giving me a follow — Shiitaal Budhrauj
And here’s an out-of-the-cage read that will bring you back to the present moment:
Another inspiring read on curating experiences, not things:
