The End Of The 21 Day Writing Challenge

By Elita TorresBLOG, HABITS, PRODUCTIVITY
21-day-writing-challenge

Three weeks ago, I started a 21 day Writing Challenge that was initiated when I listened to Omar Zenhom’s podcast, “The $100 MBA”.  It has now been 3 weeks and while I did not succeed in meeting all the requirements, I did learn a few things.

 

Here were the conditions of the 21-Day Writing Challenge:

 

  1. Post once per day, 5 days per week.
  2. Continue posting 5 days per week for 21 days, totaling 15 posts.
  3. Each post must be a minimum of 500 words.
  4. Posts must be written and not dictated. Writing the posts myself will help build the habit.
  5. Make a list of topics that you want to write about.
  6. Plan your posts before you start writing.
  7. Encourage others to join.

 

I started the writing challenge because I was struggling to be consistent with my writing.  Although, I have been able to stick to my 2 posts per week, it often meant last minute postings.  I was hoping that through this challenge, I would create a writing habit that would get me back on track.

 

I was able to meet 6 out of the 7 conditions.  The one I struggled with was the 5 posts per week.  All three weeks, I only managed 4 posts.

 

I can beat myself up for not finishing the challenge perfectly, or I can celebrate doubling my posts 3 weeks in a row.

 

“A small win is a concrete, complete, implemented outcome of moderate importance. By itself, one small win may seem unimportant. A series of wins at small but significant tasks, however, reveals a pattern that may attract allies, deter opponents, and lower resistance to subsequent proposals. Small wins are controllable opportunities that produce visible results.” – Karl E. Weick

 

I noticed that toward week 3, I was gaining significant momentum.  In fact, I was able to maintain the 4 posts despite having an incredibly busy week.  I participated in a conference that took up not only my days but my nights as well.  Planning ahead of time was a big part of this success.

 

[tweetthis]“Track your small wins to motivate big accomplishments.” – Teresa Amabile[/tweetthis]

 

My next challenge is to batch write and hopefully have a bank of articles available to post.  This back-up will compensate for those weeks where my work load is extensive.

 

Have you recently joined a challenge?  How did you do?