Why I Quit Reading and Started Writing

I’ve been a reader on Medium for all of 2016; but it wasn’t until last month that I really started using it to write as well. To make sure I took full advantage of what we have here on Medium, I set a few goals for myself, all surrounding writing. Here are the goals I set, the reasoning behind them, and what I learned as a result.

The first rule was to get rid of that stupid phone case.

Write at least 300 words every day.

300 words is just enough to be hard. It’s long enough to fully develop an idea, but not so long that you can’t do it every day.

Publish 300 words every day.

I focused on publishing every day because I’ve consistently written before. Yet it’s easy to shy away from publishing you thoughts, feelings, and ideas. I wanted to force that discomfort out of myself. In fact I wanted to fail a bit so that I could develop a thicker skin!

Pitch what you write every day.

This is publishing taken to the next level. I knew I could make my writing public without letting a lot of people see it. Instead of letting my writing float out into the ether, I wanted to force myself to defend it and sell it to others. No single post had to be groundbreaking. But I’m confident that doing your best each day and being proud of that work can have a ripple effect.

Share what you write with others.

Sharing with strangers is one thing. Anybody can have a covert Tumblr or a Wordpress site with hidden pages (cough, cough, me). Instead, I wanted to put myself out there every day on Facebook and Twitter. I wanted to expose others to my writing; whether I know them well or whether we’ve met just once. These platforms are so interactive it forced discussion and debate whether I was ready for it or not.

A little writing can go a long way.

Here’s what I learned from each part.

1. Write at least 300 words every day: Honestly, 300 words is a pretty modest amount. Some days were difficult. But I often found myself cutting off early or simplifying complex ideas because the 300 word limit had an anchoring effect.
2. Publish 300 words every day: It’s good to “ship” for the sake of shipping. If you have difficulty finishing projects the best cure is finishing them. Finish to build a habit of finishing (Todd Brison gives similar advice here). This is especially important for me as a perfectionist. Just because something can be perfected doesn’t mean it has to be — especially if it will prevent you from putting it out in the world.
3. Pitch what you write every day: This is the one component that forced me to focus on quality. Publications on Medium don’t accept anyone’s work, especially some of my faves (The Ascent, Breaking the Mold, etc.) So, I had to focus my ideas and my write on niche topics so that it could help broader audiences rather than just myself. I had to edit my work so that it was actually presentable to other writers. Though I wanted to focus on output above everything else, this was really crucial to making my work anything worth reading.
4. Share what you wrote with others: This is like getting over stage fright. I’ve written before about how my first experiences publishing online were kind of a bummer. But as I’ve gotten older and received encouragement from mentors, I’ve learned this: the worst thing that happens is nobody notices you. People care a lot less attention than you think. Since we’re all constantly distracted on the internet, it’s unlikely anyone will give you too much thought — especially if you’re writing about something non-controversial like personal growth.

This isn’t a self-congratulatory piece. It’s encouragement to make small changes in your life that yield big results.

Writing consistently over the past month didn’t bring me fame, fortune, or anything close. But, it’s brought a ton of unexpected opportunities. I’ve reconnected with old friends. I’ve received encouragement and support from people I hardly know. And most of all, I’ve strengthened my belief in the power of building small habits to create the life you want.

If you want to make a change in your life, start small — whether you want to lose weight or learn a language. Developing tiny habits that you can repeat day after day can have a compounding effect.