Boost Your Success on Medium with Streaking
Master the power of consistent writing with this little-known method.
“Consistency is the key to success. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently.” — Tony Robbins
If you are like me, you’ve never heard of streaking before.
My only familiarity with streaking is when someone runs across a football field or pitch naked.
But what does that have to do with writing consistently on Medium?
Well, it has nothing to do with running naked (whew!) but everything to do with creating an effective writing habit.
As a new writer on Medium, I understand that building a consistent writing habit is a must. Although I’ve been able to achieve several goals on Medium in a short amount of time (followers, reads, views, fans, and subscribers), writing consistently still eludes me.
After reading about developing a consistent writing habit on Medium, it appears to be a challenge for both new and seasoned writers.
So, I decided to do some research and found a little-known method called streaking that can boost your writing success on Medium.
I consulted the ever-popular search bar on Medium to see if anyone else is writing about streaking. While several articles alluded to it, none spoke about it specifically. And of course, I found a few entertaining stories about the other form of streaking.
In this article, I am going to discuss how streaking can help you to develop a writing habit, how it can help you quickly overcome writer's block, and how it can build momentum toward a robust portfolio of stories.
So, without further ado, it’s time to learn about streaking my friends!
What is Streaking?
If you’ve never heard of streaking, it’s probably because the term is more commonly used in running. Not naked running, real running.
According to the Marathon Handbook, two official run streak bodies exist, the Streak Runners International (SRI), and the United States Running Streak Association (USRSA).
These organizations define a streak as running “at least one mile (1.61 kilometers) each calendar day.”
The two overarching ideas are simple for streaking:
- Run each day of the calendar year (hence the streak)
- Keep the threshold low (1 mile or 1.61 km) to encourage daily participation.
Mentally preparing yourself for a one-mile run every day (or 1.61 km) is a lot easier than pushing yourself to run five miles in one go.
Keeping it to one mile also allows you to push past any resistance. Thus, it is easier to maintain a streak because the threshold is low enough to be palatable on a daily basis.
The end goal of streaking is to make running a habit.
Ideally, you wake up one year later and realize you ran 365 miles at minimum.
At this point, I’m sure you’re saying to yourself, “That’s very interesting, Sharon, but what does a running streak have to do with writing on Medium?”
Why Streaking Works for Consistent Writing
No matter how you slice it, developing a writing habit is a worthy endeavor to increase your portfolio and earnings on Medium.
You’ll see encouragement from experts to participate in 30-, 60-, or even 100-day challenges. While some experts encourage writing challenges for new writers like Dr Mehmet Yildiz and Abena Talks, others abhor them.
After reading a plethora of advice, I knew there had to be a better way to develop a writing habit and grow a larger presence on Medium other than engaging in one challenge after another.
Streaking develops a writing habit because there is no end date like a challenge. You simply write as long as your personal streak lasts.
Also, by keeping the word count low throughout your streak, you can quickly overcome writer's block because you aren’t writing a 5,000-word behemoth daily. You simply set out each day to write a short, crisp story or add a section to a longer piece each day.
Streaking builds momentum because writing every day effortlessly builds your portfolio. If you streaked for one year, you’d look back and realize you have 365 stories to show for it.
That would certainly increase your visibility, build your audience, and improve your writing skills!
I like being a trailblazer, so I have a few ideas on how to effectively streak as a writer on Medium.
Let’s Go Streaking on Medium
If you made it this far, you are ready to start streaking.
Since I do not see anyone else providing advice on streaking other than the overused advice “write every day,” I propose the following parameters.
- Write every day until you break the streak.
- If you break the streak, you must restart at “Day 1.” 😢
- Write at least 150 words each day.
That’s it! The beauty of streaking is it’s not overcomplicated.
The reason I think the 150-word count is perfect for streaking is that it’s low enough to encourage daily participation to keep the streak going.
More than likely, you’ll end up writing more than 150 words. But if you don't, 150 words is the perfect length for a short-form story.
You can easily track your streaking progress using online calendars, apps, or paper. The choice is yours.
Hopefully, you’ll get so good at streaking that you wake up one day and realize you’ve written 365 stories, you are a top writer on Medium, and you cannot imagine being anything other than a writer!
Conclusion
You may already be in the habit of writing each day or you may need a little push. Regardless, streaking can help you boost your success on Medium.
By using this little-known method of streaking, I hope you develop a consistent writing habit you love, easily overcome writer’s block, and build momentum toward a robust portfolio of stories.
Whether you decide to streak naked or fully clothed, I wish you the best on your Medium writing journey!
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