20 Lessons From Publishing 200 Articles

Love the process, be authentic, and find your voice

I’ve been writing on Medium for two years and have been blogging for over five years; these are the 20 lessons I’ve learned from publishing 200 articles.

The writing process is something you discover, not design. You may think you are going to write a certain way, for a certain niche, and a certain purpose, but those reasons will change over time. And it should, because through the process of writing, you will also change. You will become more self-aware, your curiosities will change, and you will become a different person through the sheer will it takes to write every day for years on end.

Although I will share my lessons in this story, I hope you take the time to learn them through the daily process of becoming the best writer you can be.

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you want to be.” — James Clear in Atomic Habits

1. There are no shortcuts

Although the 10,000 rule is not as clear-cut as Malcolm Gladwell made it seem in Outliers, it is still a general guide to how much deliberate practice it takes to achieve mastery. There are simply no shortcuts.

You must put in the requisite amount of time working on your craft to achieve any kind of long-term, sustained success.

2. Showing up is more important than great writing

I used to fret over this or that. It would limit my ability to produce content over time because I would stop showing up. Don’t let the notion of great writing or becoming a great writer stop you from simply showing up every day.

The latter is 10x more powerful and great writing will manifest itself over time.

3. You’re writing style will evolve over time

The more you read and write, the better you get at reading and writing. Who would have thought? This usually amounts to a more active style with fewer words. The ability to write short, succinct sentences is what makes a great writer.

Long, wordy sentences with lots of confusing words are signs of a great amateur.

4. You will lose interest

There will be days and even weeks when you won’t be interested in writing. Maybe you started a new job, family, career, or other business venture. Maybe you’re an avid gamer and the appeal of writing online as a game has waned. Whatever it may be, you will lose interest at some point.

Dusting off your keyboard and getting back to work is how you produce 100s of articles, not moments of fleeting inspiration.

5. You will lack motivation

In a similar vein, you will lose motivation for whatever it is you are creating. The key is to connect to your MTP and “burn” (#s 19 and 20) on a daily basis. I go as far as to write my burn statement down every day along with my top ten goals.

I do this every single day because Brian Tracy said to do so.

“The great summary statement of all religions, philosophies, metaphysics, psychology, and success is this: You become what you think about most of the time. Your outer world ultimately becomes a reflection of your inner world. Your outer world of experience mirrors back to you what you think about most of the time. Whatever you think about continuously emerges in your reality.” — Brian Tracy in Goals!

6. You will want to quit

I contemplated quitting my writing habit and even my coaching practice. When you lose momentum, you start to lose money. Suddenly, these assets you’ve built start to become liabilities, and quitting seems like a cost-effective option. Don’t do it. Keep these platforms in place and find something small to do to get back on track. Write one sentence (or heading). Manage one client program or create a new one. Talk to one more potential customer. There are millions of people in the world and many of them could use your specific expertise and know-how. Keep pounding the rock.

Remember what Wallace Wattles once said, “The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.”

7. A Growth Mindset is required

Due to all of the potential setbacks, a growth mindset, the belief that if you keep going you will eventually reach your goals, is required. Keep believing that you have what it takes and you will build the mental fortitude necessary to actually have what it takes.

Carol Dweck penned the global phenomenon Growth Mindset and noted, “We like to think of our champions and idols as superheroes who were born different from us. We don’t like to think of them as relatively ordinary people who made themselves extraordinary.”

8. Grit helps too

The most influential book on my personal development journey has been the previously mentioned Growth Mindset. The second is Grit by Angela Duckworth. Specifically, there is a single quote from the book that I think about often as it relates to her notion of grit — the combination of passion and perseverance.

“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.” — Angela Duckworth in Grit

9. Reading is required

Writing goes hand-in-hand with reading. The two are connected by more than words because reading gives you the fodder to write. Need ideas? Read. Need motivation to write? Read. Need some inspiration from a world-changing author, entrepreneur, athlete, etc.? Read MORE.

10. Learning is required

It’s entirely possible to go through the motions for extrinsic motivations and never actually get better. This is why learning is also required. And not just learning itself, you have to become a voracious learner who constantly seeks out learning opportunities. In today’s highly volatile environment with life-altering technologies, the ability to learn has become the most valuable skill anyone can harness.

“We now accept the fact that learning is a lifelong process of keeping abreast of change. And the most pressing task is to teach people how to learn.” — Peter Drucker

11. Find some “writing heroes”

Writing heroes are the people we aspire to be. Mine are Robert Greene, Ryan Holiday, and more recently, Nicolas Cole. Read their books, articles, and tweets. Listen to them on podcasts and take note of how they find the fire to master the process. Greene has written six best-selling behemoths and Holiday is producing a perennial seller year after year.

Their ability to write often has directly influenced mine.

12. Find ideas everywhere

I’m surprised when I hear writers talk about a lack of ideas. Ideas are everywhere and if you’ve ever had a conversation with anyone, you have a few of your own. The key is to find ways to translate those ideas into stories, which you can then turn into words.

Be curious and open and ideas will flow from everywhere.

13. Have a method to capture ideas

When something interesting strikes, how do you capture it? Most people will simply try and remember it, but ideas come so often and randomly that it is important to have a method to capture them. Having a method will free up precious mental space, what productivity guru David Allen calls a “second mind.”

Use it as a resource to capture ideas so you can keep thinking of bigger and better ones or direct your focus on things that really move the needle.

14. Write in a notebook

Technology is great and writers should learn how to leverage modern tools to assist with their writing, note-taking, and learning process. However, there is something irreplaceable about writing in a notebook. There is a deeper connection to the words when it is handwritten and I suspect it is because it requires more of us.

It is more human to create words using pen and paper; don’t underestimate the power of taking notes, journaling, and creating ideas in this way.

15. Build a system

The most influential book I have ever read on entrepreneurship has been The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber. The reason is that Gerber talks about systems. The key to running an effective business is to have a system in place that tells everyone what to do and with what. He refers to McDonald's often because they were the first to capitalize on this process. 30 years after its publication, businesses still rely too heavily on the goodwill and motivation of their employees. The same is true for writers.

The most reliable way to produce content is to rely on a system that removes the internal barriers to getting started. Write at a certain time every day for a set amount of time. Write in certain places. Never start with a blank page; instead, create an outline that puts words on paper.

In Willpower, Roy Baumeister says to start with clear goals but always leave room for willpower. In other words, don’t rely solely on yourself to get things done, use a system instead.

16. Cultivate curiosity

In Cracking The Curiosity Code, Diane Hamilton refers to a childlike curiosity as to why many business leaders and entrepreneurs remain successful over time — as the curiosity in others starts to wane. The reason is that a sense of curiosity ensures that other important attributes also stick around — adventurous, friendly, outgoing, networking, learning, etc. If it is a trait that relates to success, being curious keeps it around longer.

Reading her book will help reignite these traits that may have been dormant for years: “I am a firm believer that curiosity is fundamental to transformational leadership and transforming oneself.” — Diane Hamilton

17. Take pleasure in the small stuff

If you listen to Ryan Holiday talk about how he takes notes using his commonplace book, you’ll either be fascinated or bored. Fascinated if you appreciate the small stuff, the little details that a writer, creator, or entrepreneur does every day that eventually lead to a masterpiece. Bored if you don’t get it. Excellence can seem boring to those staring in from the outside.

But to the writer immersed in the process, the small stuff evokes the same kind of gratification as a New York Times bestseller.

18. Write down your core values

My last three lessons refer to a person’s internal character and drive. There is no replacement for the drive to write every day in pursuit of a greater goal.

That goal is a Massively Transformative Purpose coined by Salim Ismail in Exponential Organizations. Your core values make up your character, which determines your destiny. When things get tough, monotonous, and utterly unbearable, like they often do, your core values are what you lean on to keep you going. They are applicable in any situation but are most important when you are the only one around to witness the deed. Did you do what you said you were going to do? Or did you slack off yet again and whims of modern comforts?

Struggling with the latter? Ask yourself what are your core values.

19. Refer to your Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP)

Your MTP is the overarching guiding light for your personal and professional life.

Steven Kotler, the flow guru and author who penned the book where I first learned about MTPs, provides an outline for choosing your MTP:

• Massive: it’s large and audacious
• Transformative: it brings significant change to an industry or even the planet.
• Purpose-driven: it sets a vision that gives your life meaning (where you direct your burn and daily actions)

My MTP is a simple statement: break generational curses and build generational wealth. It’s audacious because it spans the generations that have come before me and those that will follow.

My goal setting hierarchy places your MTP at the top. The bottom is process and clear goals, ignited by your burn. Subscribe here to get notification when it’s available.

20. Find your “burn”

Your burn is connected to everything you do. In my goal-setting hierarchy, your burn is what ignites your MTP.

I wrote a story explaining how I learned about the burn from Ben Newman’s uncommon coaching program. I also outline the exact process I used to find and create my burn. To summarize, your burn consists of bits and pieces of your core values, mission statement, MTP, outcome goals, and the thing you think about the most. It can be a hidden driver, which is what makes uncovering it so powerful.

When you do, you can write it down every day like I do, connecting to this source of untapped energy to power your process and clear goals.

These 20 lessons were hard-earned and I suggest you endeavor for the same.

If you learn to love the process, 200 stories are simply a matter of showing up. Remember, you get to do the work. It is a privilege granted to us and the ability to express yourself in your chosen field or domain is what makes being a human so special.

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