How to Stick With Writing Long Enough to See Results.

It’s about consistency, effort, and the long game.

I have learned an important lesson after writing on this platform for over two years.

You will not stick with something for months, let alone years, if it’s not something you genuinely enjoy doing.

If writing is not your thing, then writing isn’t for you.

The act of writing itself is what I love. I love sitting at my laptop, typing away my ideas and things I want to discuss.

Writing is the way I enjoy sharing what I have to say.

If writing isn’t the medium you enjoy to share yourself with the world, that’s okay. That just means you need to keep looking for a way to share your ideas.

With that said, if you genuinely enjoy writing, here are some essential things you need to know when you start so you can stick with it long enough to see some form of results.

If it doesn’t interest you, it won’t last

Start with what you want to write about. The topics that interest you and inspire you.

This is perhaps the number one reason I’ve been able to stick with writing for this long — I’ve been writing on Medium since April of 2021, about two and a half years.

I mostly write about personal development, self-awareness, and relationships. Occasionally, I dabble in other lifestyle topics like health, wellness, and side jobs or side hustles.

I write about these topics because I’m genuinely interested in them, and I think my input can help another person. If I were to sit across another human being, these are the things I would talk about.

I want to know about the biggest struggles you’ve overcome, what lessons you learned from those experiences, and what you have done differently to improve your life.

I like to share my struggles and the lessons life teaches me because I want to help others weather the storms they face.

Growing up, I didn’t have someone to have these kinds of conversations with, so I know how important it is to hear that you’re not alone, you’re not the only one struggling with this, and there is a solution to whatever problem you’re facing.

The ride is not roses and rainbows

Don’t fall for the trap that you’re supposed to be inspired all the time — you’re not.

Some days, the writing will flow easily. On other days, getting your thoughts on paper will be the biggest struggle.

Take, for example, this blog. It’s taken me about two days to finish most of the body. Why? Because life happens.

This week, I didn’t get my usual days off because a coworker took some time off, and I was asked to cover their shifts.

I still have two days of work left, which means I will have worked six days in a row. To say I’m tired is an understatement.

But today (Sunday), I gathered some energy to start writing and finish most of this blog's body.

This is called making an effort.

Like I said, the topics and ideas don’t come easily sometimes, or life happens, and you’re too tired to think about what you want to say.

Either way, it’s up to you to make the time, sit down, and at least come up with a few ideas.

When I have at least an idea or two, I start thinking about them and, as a result, get inspired to write.

It may feel awkward or odd when you’re staring at a blank screen with no idea what to say, but eventually, you fall into a routine that helps you develop topics.

All you need to do is make a consistent effort.

You’re here for a long time, not a short, relatively good time

Virality isn’t the goal.

Sure, going viral would be nice because that means more eyeballs looking at what I’ve written.

The thing about going viral is it doesn’t last.

For me, someone going viral means they were able to captivate people’s very short attention span all at once. But once those people are no longer interested, their attention goes elsewhere.

That’s why this is not something you do to go viral.

You do this to build a loyal audience that’s genuinely interested in the things you’re writing and looks forward to what other thoughts you will share.

I aim to build a community of like-minded people who enjoy reading about the topics I mentioned as much as I do, which will take some time.

People hate hearing that something they aspire to do and become good at will take time.

But as the saying goes, nothing worthwhile comes easy.

I’ve been writing relatively consistently on Medium for the past two and a half years. I started with 0 followers, and now I’m over 300.

To say I’m grateful is an understatement.

That means over 300 beautiful souls enjoy what I write and look forward to seeing what else I have to say.

The idea that I’ve been able to touch this many people with my writing is mind-blowing.

All I can say is that I’m slowly but surely accomplishing the job I set out to do, and that’s all the motivation I need to keep moving forward.

Sure, you can make money, but what I’ve learned about some of the most successful people I’ve found on this platform and others is that to succeed first, you need to serve others with a genuine heart. Afterwards, the money will flow.