Another Approach for #the100dayproject
Day 7/100
I spent some time reflecting on how to use #the100dayproject more intentionally with my writing, especially after I had skipped a day. Do I make the project smaller? More manageable? Do I just commit to writing a paragraph or 100 words every day? Do I spend the entire project writing about one topic, like the creative process? If it’s one thing that I’ve learned from reading Marion Roach Smith’s The Memoir Project, it’s to toss out writing exercises and just write. Write with intention.
And the truth is that my intention is to become a better writer, a more crafted writer. A writer who takes writing seriously, which means writing with the intention to put my work out there — whether online through Medium or through submitting for publication or to work on my own book. While I love the idea and challenge of #the100dayproject, I realize that I want to use the project to move me closer to that dream and intention, not distract from it. There are certainly ways to use this project to give writers a boost of inspiration and creativity. I don’t really need that — I need to actually sit down and write.
I was standing in my small kitchen, pouring the hot water over my Chemex coffeemaker, watching the coffee grinds unfurl and bloom. In that quiet moment, an idea came to me.
What if I created space during #the100dayproject to simultaneously work on my writing craft, such as working on essays and chapters, and also stay accountable by posting updates about my writing process and journey? I would still commit to writing every day, whether it was privately on my essays and bigger writing projects, or by posting writing updates on social media for #the100dayproject on either Medium or Instagram. This back and forth, ebb and flow, would allow me to move forward with my writing, while also being part of the larger community of creatives and for social accountability. Truly, the best of both worlds.
I sketched it out in my notebook, and jotted down a tracker in my planner. There’s an awesome article that Jocelyn K. Glei wrote called How to Feel Progess. In the article, she highlights this finding by Harvard researcher Teresa Amabile:
Making progress in meaningful work is the key to staying engaged.
I think about the concepts that she wrote about when I’m incorporating new strategies into my creative work and routine. It’s not enough to just force myself to do the work (career burnout has taught me the hard way), but to also stay motivated and engaged. It’s been an ongoing experiment for me to test the right amount of structure, creative freedom, and meaningful progress, especially when it comes to something as subjective as creative writing. I’m hopeful that I’m on the right path.
As with all ideas, it’s best to just start testing it instead of overthinking it. How else will I know unless I try, right? And if not… well, there’s still 93 days left to try something else.
