I Survived Writing An Article a Day For 1,080 Days Straight (Here’s What Happened)

How I kept going

Your ability to show up when feeling dejected, that’s how you never quit.

I’ve written almost every day on the internet for the last 1,080 days. There were days when I felt like throwing in the towel, days when I felt overwhelming happiness, and days when I felt nothing.

It’s funny, although every day has in some ways been almost identical, the emotions I’ve felt during those days have been wildly different.

In any case, here’s what happened when I wrote every day for 3 years.

The unhappiest of people are lost

Not knowing what you want is worse than knowing and not having it.

There is a painful truth that we all face at one point or another, that maybe, just maybe we don’t know ourselves as well as we thought we did.

It’s a realization that hit me in the face a few years ago. I thought I knew. Until I was sitting on the other side of the table, looking at those things. Those things I’d told myself I wanted.

And all I could think? This isn’t for me.

Writing was my escape.

Writing in many ways helped me figure out who I was and what I wanted. I thought I wanted many things, until I wrote my thoughts out on a page and realized I didn’t, I was doing what we all do. Pretending.

It’s the best gift writing ever gave me.

I wrote my way to who I really am. For that, I’ll be forever in debt to writing.

I’d never bet against people with buckets of self-respect

When I started tapping away on the internet, I didn’t like myself much.

Not that I knew it.

I didn’t. But I had a bad habit of never doing the things I said I would, I’d sort of given up on trying, I did what’s worse than throwing in the towel — I was pretending to try.

But writing became my teacher. It taught me self-respect.

It taught me to show up, especially when nobody was watching because that’s when you are showing up for yourself. The most important audience of all.

It’s easy to show up when there is a crowd of folks waiting, off-loading your self-worth into the hands of others. Showing up for yourself, just yourself, signals to yourself that you are worth it.

And that’s a big deal.

The best writing is slow

The best writing I find is like a great desert.

You dip your sponge into the fudgey goodness, chocolate smearing up the sides, you transfer the parcel of deliciousness into your expecting mouth. You savor. You close your eyes. Mmmmm.

That’s what great writing feels like. It’s smooth and sugary. Savor it when it comes along because it doesn’t happen all that often. But when it does, those days feel like you are skating on cloud 9.

I realized when I slowed down, that’s when I was having the most fun.

The fastest way to build feels the slowest

In the midst of writing, I started finding my voice.

I started writing about the things I cared about, to the people I connected with, and to build something I’m proud of. These days? I’m hitting $10k months, building my brand, and having a tonne of fun in the meantime.

It’s been a long road to get here.

But one that’s felt fast and slow all at the same time. The thing is, there are ways to get to where you want to be quicker. Of course.

Sure you can write about topics that are guaranteed to get you eyeballs, you can talk about success or whatever else that is guaranteed to get the clicks but honestly, writing is a lifetime affair for me, I’m in no rush.

This is just the beginning

I’ve learned so much in these last 3 years.

I can barely begin to express the gratitude I have for writing and life as a result. I’m living my dream. Nobody tells you what to do when you arrive at your dream, when you’re living it you almost forget that this was the mountain top.

Some days though, when I remember, like today I sit back and can’t believe this is where I’m at. In those moments I feel an immense sense of pride.

That I stuck at it, that I survived, and that I built my purpose one article at a time. It’s been the ride of a lifetime and I’m just getting started.

P.S. If you want more guides like this (that are designed to help anyone with a 9 to 5 build on the internet) sign up for my free newsletter — The Part-Time Creator Club.

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