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