November 1st. October is over. The write 31 days challenge is over. Did I finish it? Yes and no. I failed to post all 31 days, but I wrote 18 real posts which is probably more that all of last year and I call that a huge improvement. But more than just 18 posts, I’ve learned so much, so today, as my favorite Emily P. Freeman started, I’m listing what I’ve learned I October through the Write 31 Days project.
- Doing something is empowering. I like to think and overthink before I take action. And while I planned and plotted (there was a spreadsheet involved) I didn’t wait for the perfect conditions to hit publish and it felt good. Could I have done it better? FOR SURE! But I did something and that makes me really, really happy!
- Action has a domino effect. Knowing I had a blog to post, social media, orders to pack, plans to make, etc pushed me to do more. The action fueled more action and that was also a very good thing.
- Done is better than perfect. Are there errors in my posts? I would bet money on it. Could I have said it better or added more pictures? Without a doubt. But I did something. I started and can improve and grow from there. If we keep waiting for perfection, we’ll never get off the couch. Just try it. The worst thing that can happen is you learn!
- I enjoy writing. I always have. English was my favorite subject because I liked the writing part. I enjoy stringing the words together to prove a point or tell a story. I even realized that the part of my job I liked the most was when I could write a proposal or give written feedback. Written words are an introverts loudest voice sometimes and I enjoy the outlet.
- Starting again after you stop is a challenge, but doable. I got on a roll for a week or so. I was doing it all and had a plan to keep it going. Then I got a stupid cold that didn’t let me sleep and I lost all momentum. I never totally gained it back BUT I forced myself to go again. I have a tendency to give up too easily so this was a good lesson to start again.
The list could go on and on and on but I'll stop with those big take-aways. We should always be learning and this is a great practice to hold on to what we've learned big and small. Do yourself a favor and start tracking for November!