March Challenge: Publish an Article Every Single Day

31 Days, 31 Articles

I NEED to get back into the groove of creating and writing.

After a horrid 2020 with the pandemic, parenting and nursing through Melbourne’s lockdown, a terminal diagnosis for a loved one and, well, just life in general, I found my motivation and creativity were non-existent. I barely had the energy just to get through my days, let alone sit in front of my computer and put those thoughts and emotions into words.

This was unusual for me, as writing is usually an escape for me. A place that I can sort through all that mental traffic jam and calm my mind.

Did anyone else find that 2020 just sucked out all their energy?

I know that if I just decide to write, I won't maintain my motivation. It will simply fizzle out. I need a goal to focus on, something to set my sights on and to strive for. So I created a challenge for myself — to publish an article on Medium every single day of March.

31 articles in a month!

For some, this may not sound like a lot, but keep in mind I am balancing this around freelance writing clients, nursing shifts and parenting two children (one who has just started primary school).

Phew! I am already tired…..

Why am I doing it?

The main reason I am doing it is to “find myself” again. I am a writer at heart, and I want to tap back into that. I want to pull those words out of my heart and head and put them on paper. And of course, I want to capitalise on that!

The challenge is designed to provide me with a framework and goals. This helps to foster motivation and inspiration, which means I will see this March challenge through to the end. Probably. Hopefully.

This challenge will also push me outside of my comfort zone. Rather than just tapping away on my computer when I feel like it, I will be forced to stick to a timeline and schedule. I need to write every single day in order to meet the 31 article challenge I have set for myself, which means planning, focus and write, write, and write some more!

I am also hoping that doing this will help me regain momentum. After all, the more you write the more you will keep on writing! Right?

What I hope to achieve?

The March challenge is not only to pull me out of this writing rut but to:

• Gain followers and to become more active in the Medium community.
• Improve my writing.
• Build a bigger portfolio.
• Help ascertain what people are reading and liking on Medium so I am more successful moving forward.
• And of course, money! It would be a lie to say this wasn’t a motivating factor.

My plan of attack.

I have sat down and wrote out a plan of attack. Because:

Failure to plan is planning to fail!

And I am very determined not to fail. I WILL DO THIS!

First, I have broken March down into weekly themes based on the topics I most enjoy writing about:

• Week One: Parenting.
• Week Two: Health and Wellness.
• Week Three: Freelance Writing.
• Week Four and Five: Working from Home, Organisation and Planning.

Next, I brainstormed an extensive list of articles for each theme. Really way more than what I needed to fulfil the month. This way if I am not feeling a certain article, I don’t have to stare at a blank computer screen trying to come up with another idea. I simply move on to the next one. The aim is to keep my writing fluid and inspired, instead of flat and forced.

I sat down with my planners…yes plural! I have a work planner and family planner. I looked at my schedule and made sure to pencil in time to plan, write and edit the articles. I believe the key to completing this challenge is to be organised!

I have also scheduled time each day to read and comment on stories published in Medium. One of the things I wish to achieve from this challenge is to become an active part of the Medium community.

We are all in this together, and I cannot expect people to read and interact with my stories unless I am doing the same! Plus Medium is full of amazing writers and stories. So in my book, it is a win-win.

Starting Stats (taken from 28th February).

No challenge is complete unless you know what you have achieved! I need to know where I started from to determine if I have set out to achieve any of my goals.

Here are my starting stats:

How many stories published on Medium: 4 (Yes, an embarrassingly low number….soon to be much higher)!

My top earning story: “Meditation in Motion”. I published this story on the 22nd of October, 2020 in Mind|Body|Soul

It has been viewed 255 times, with 127 reads and earnt a grand total of 54¢.

My lowest-earning story: “The Bad Mood Keeps On Going”. This one was published on the 23rd of February, 2021 in R.M.Writing.

It has been viewed 2 times, with 2 reads and earnt NOTHING! :\

How many followers: 47.

As you can see I am not the most prolific writer on Medium yet, nor a high earning one. I hope to change some of that by the end of this month. Most of all, I hope to become an active part of this amazing community.

I will post my finishing stats at…you guessed it…the end of March!

Let’s get to it!

All that is left to do now is to get writing!

I am sure there is going to be A LOT of coffee consumed, sore hands and head and days I will feel like giving up. I am going to keep a daily diary of my journey where I will be very open and honest about this challenge. I am sure it will be a great read for anyone who is considering a writing challenge.

I look forward to becoming a more active member of Medium and finding new and exciting people to follow.

Who is with me?!

Rachel Maree is a writer, mum and registered nurse. Bringing you the real truth to parenting, nursing and writing (even when it is downright ugly). You can read more articles or hire her to write amazing content for you — Rachel Maree.

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