Have you ever been really tired after a long day of work? Like the kind of tired that if you accidentally fell on your bed you would instantly fall asleep? The kind that starts to make you wonder if sleeping while standing is really possible?
Now, picture yourself in this state and add having to think and write a blog post before you fall asleep.
In over 60 days of daily blogging, I have experienced this feeling more than once. Some days, writing comes easily. I can sit down and write exactly what I want in 30 minutes and be done. Other times, I spend 30 minutes just trying to create enough will power to write the first sentence. Some days, I have all day to write. Other days, I am working 14 hours and hardly have time to eat, let alone write. As they say, When It Rains It Pours.
However, the exercise of writing every day has taught me more than I can fully explain. I have new ideas and questions constantly going through my head. I can’t see anything without thinking more deeply about it and the philosophy behind it. Brain dead nights and all, I am so glad that I’ve done it and I have no intention of stopping any time soon.
Here are a few things that I have learned in my 60 days of blogging.
Write to bring value to someone else
The tendency when first starting to blog is to write it like a journal: “Then after I learned this, I learned that. Then I did this other thing.” This may be interesting to your mom — who is undoubtedly your most loyal fan (love you mom) — but to be engaging to people reading your writing for the first time, you must start to craft your writing to bring value to others. Start asking questions in your posts, start talking about more controversial subjects. Make what you write applicable outside your own personal life.
Ledes are everything
In general, if your post starts out with “Today I…” it’s probably not good. This has been one of the hardest things for me to learn during my time writing. I’m working on it, but it still needs improvement. Without a good lede, you will lose 90 percent of your readers before they even get to your main content. Cut straight to the meat and engage your audience right away.
Philosophize over everything
This has perhaps been the most crucial asset to my writing every day.
Picture this: You are driving to work and out of the blue you wonder how your car was made. Start thinking about it. Start really thinking about. Don’t leave your thoughts at the car, take them with you. How do you imagine they build it? With machines? How did they use to do it without machines? How was it different before electricity? What was the first car with a radio? What inspired the first man to design a car, who was he? What was his story? Who influenced him? All of a sudden, you are thinking of a topic a thousand miles away from where you started, but you have been thinking this whole time. That’s the key. You have allowed yourself to be curious about your thoughts rather than dismissing them at the first sign of curiosity.
By doing this, you open yourself to topics you might never have thought of before, and in turn, have many more topics to think about on the daily.
Just Show Up
One of the most important things to remember when starting to blog is that there are no qualifications, and there are no rules. Especially when writing daily, the most important thing is to simply show up.
Start with 30 days. Show up and write and publish something every day for 30 days. No excuses, no exceptions. By doing this, you are proving not only that you are more reliable than most of today’s generation, but also that you are willing to create value for others no matter how you feel. Aim for quality, but don’t get down on yourself when you feel you’re writing garbage.
By the end, you will be a better writer. I guarantee it. I’ve written more in the last two months than I have in my entire life. I’ve written and published over 75 articles and now I can’t imagine stopping.
Daily writing has made me a far more creative, efficient, and clear communicator. If that interests you, what are you waiting for?
Start writing.