The 365 day project: Writing every day

I have decided to commit myself and take my writing to the next level. The challenge is: 365 days of writing every day.

No off-days. No excuses.

Intent #

I want to get better at writing. Doing something every day is a very effective way of getting better at something.

I have a vision of this website in my mind that I want to bring to life. That requires a lot of writing. I want to spend this time working through my huge backlog of articles and build traction for this site.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing my thesis in uni and have known since that I want to make this practice a regular part of my life.

Definition of Writing #

I am a person that needs clear rules. Uncertainty about what I can and can’t do leads me to indecision and abusing loopholes.

• §1 Writing means writing something that will be used on this website.
• §2 The minimum is one usable paragraph. It does not matter if the paragraph ends up being used. The intention should be that it will be. A note or rough draft does not count.
  • a) Process-appropriate translation work is a suitable alternative. The minimum for translation is a whole article.
  • b) Late-stage editing is another alternative. The minimum for editing is bringing an article from the editing phase to publication.
• §3 Writing needs to happen on some article that is in the pipeline, not just: “Oh yeah, I wrote this note that will become an article later.”

Updates #

Here I will keep a daily log of what I have written (updated weekly.)

1. Wrote this article.
2. Finished writing Eat the frog, edit and translate it. Started writing The Inner Game review.
3. Continued writing and editing The Inner Game review.
4. Started writing on a post about vulnerability.
5. Wrote first version of the Neurostreams quick reference guide.
6. Wrote & published the coupons essay in German.
7. Put finishing touches on coupons. Started on Neurostreams review.
8. Wrote & published Minimeal review. Updates to Selling SOIL.
9. Started on Jim Rohn review.
10. Finished the Jim Rohn person review.
11. Continued writing the Neurostreams review.
12. Final version of the Neurostreams quick reference guide. Translated it as well.
13. Translated the coupons essay.
14. Some corrections, reworked and expanded the intermittent fasting review.
15. Collect sources for intermittent fasting, add maintenance paragraph to air purifier.
16. Continue on Neurostreams review.
17. Continue on Neurostreams review.
18. 🙁
19. Started on waves essay.
20. Continued on waves essay.
21. Wrote my now page.
22. Make headway on Neurostreams review.
23. Editing first half of the Neurostreams review.
24. Add buying guide and do some editing on Neurostreams quick reference guide.
25. Write introduction to challenges.
26. Edit first half of Neurostreams review.
27. Continue editing/rewriting Neurostreams review a little.
28. Write first draft of No interrupting.
29. Finish editing the second half of the Neurostreams review.
30. Final edits and publishing of Neurostreams review.
31. Write first draft of donating blood review.
32. Finish donating blood analysis. Write offer technical evaluation. Translate first half of Neurostreams review.
33. Translate the second half of Neurostreams review.
34. Small addition to no interrupting.
35. Start project article about entrepreneurship.
36. Expand the project article about entrepreneurship in scope.
37. Significantly expand no interrupting essay.
38. Started writing on Trading on Coporate Earnings review.
39. Significantly expand no interrupting essay.
40. Wrote a little on the entrepreneurship article.
41. Wrote a little on no interrupting.
42. Started writing on Trading on Coporate Earnings review.
43. Expanded & edited a good chunk of no interrupting.
44. Greatly expanded the Trading on Coporate Earnings review.
45. Finish and publish Trading on Coporate Earnings review.
46. Expand Trading on Coporate Earnings review. Update german SOIL selling guide.
47. Final edits on no interrupting.
48. Wrote first half of trampoline jumping review.
49. Wrote second half of trampoline jumping review.
50. Final editing on trampoline jumping review.
51. Publish trampoline review. Publish no interrupting.
52. Start writing AWS review.
53. Continued writing AWS review.
54. Published AWS review.
55. Start writing essay on how to be miserable.
56. Continue how to be miserable. Start writing article on changing internet providers.
57. Continue writing on changing internet providers.
58. Write a tiny bit more on changing internet providers.
59. Edit and restructure changing internet providers article.
60. Publish changing internet providers. Correct mistakes on 3 articles. Slightly expand aws review.
61. Structure and start writing on GbR project.
62. Continue on GbR project.
63. Write a little on GbR project.
64. Continue on GbR project. Write FYRST review.
65. Describe learnings of this challenge. Write the 1. Newsletter.
66. Continue a little on GbR project.
67. Continue write the GbR project.
68. Write an essay on negating commands.

Learnings #

Progress #

I can feel that I’m getting better at writing.

Structuring posts is becoming easier. First drafts are becoming better. Editing is becoming faster. I have a better sense of what won’t and will fit. The distinction between English/German has become more clear. I don’t mix the two together as much and both sound more organic. I’m better at writing clear, short sentences. At omitting unneeded words. I pick up and improve little stylistic elements, like quoting a source, use of footnotes, parenthesis for explanations, headline interaction with the text before and after, etc.

This outcome was expected, but it is still satisfying to see this happen organically, without conscious focus.

Comprehension & Completion #

The ideas and projects I pick to write about are usually very thought-out. I have already engaged with them, internalized and applied them to my life.

What I find in writing about them is that they were not as clear in my mind as I had thought. There are aspects I overlooked. Discrepancies that reveal themselves. Questions I can’t answer, that pop into my head.

Writing forces me to clearly structure everything I know on the topic in my mind.

It also makes me really complete a project. I go through my messy notes and create a beautifully shaped article out of them. One that put the core ideas are front and center. That lacks the unimportant references and tangents (side notes.) That is clearly structured and referenceable.

When I otherwise wouldn’t #

There were many days that I sat down to write in the evening just because I had to. This challenge forced me to do the right thing, when I otherwise wouldn’t.

Sometimes I would write very little. That’s ok. I made the bar (required minimum) very low on purpose. I still did the writing and kept up the habit.

Sometimes I was not in the mood. I still sat down to write and discovered that it was a lot of fun. It always is.

References #

Andy was my inspiration for this: CHALLENGE: Start a 365 Day Project and a more in-depth podcast episode