Blogging every single day for 30 days
A while back, I took up a challenge to blog every single day for 30 days. Wouldn't you know it, today is day number 30! Once I finish writing this very blog, I will have completed the challenge.
30 days later...
Back when I started, I felt like I didn't belong. I was feeling what many call 'imposter syndrome'. I'm not a writer. I'm not a blogger. Why should I even be blogging? These thoughts swirled around in my head, shackling me to a state of uncertainty. I didn't know if my content was good enough.
Standing at the finish line of this journey, I have realized that being 'good enough' doesn't matter! Sure my blogs might not be the best, but I am getting better and better every day. The more I write, the closer I become to what people consider a blogger/writer. However, as I wrote daily I also uncovered that my goal for this website was not to gain external affirmations. This website is really an outlet for me to flex my creative muscles. I can put out adventure recaps, guides to outdoor areas, personal reflections, and anything that is happening in my life. If others read and gain value from my work, that is just a bonus.
I find that I am focusing less on trying to achieve perfection and more on writing content that I find enjoyable and meaningful. For me, that is what makes me happy, and I am glad that I have discovered who I am as a writer over this journey.
Learnings
First and foremost, writing every day is hard! Somedays I would spend up to 2 hours structuring, writing, and editing my blogs. It is a large commitment to set aside that time for daily writing. Elizabeth challenging me to write every day for 30 days was the perfect goal to incentivize me to stick to this and build those blogging muscles. Not to mention, she is an incredible role model and mentor for daily writing. She has written EVERY SINGLE DAY for over 1000 days. I would highly encourage you to check out her website and consider taking the challenge on yourself.
This exercise has taught me a lot about building habits. Forcing myself to stick to blogging has built a habit around writing and everything that surrounds it. I began to think more deeply about aspects of my life as I searched for topics to write about. A simple weekend trip recap blog turned into a celebration of a new friend as well as advice on having a positive mindset. A blog updating the progress of my car camping build had undertones of skill-building by diving in and getting hands-on experience. I feel like I now am seeing life through a different lens as I start to hone in on pieces I could write meaningful blogs about.
This exercise has also given me the confidence that I could try and work on other aspects of my life that I had previously given up on. For example, I have recently started practicing Spanish once again. If I can set aside time to write every day, who's to say I can't also set aside time to practice Spanish.
Who knew a simple challenge could have helped me grow so much?
What's Next?
So, challenge complete. Now what? Well, unfortunately my daily blogging habit ends here. I will not be pushing for 1000 days like Elizabeth has done. I have other hobbies and priorities I want to pursue during my 'blogging time'. I want to turn a lot of my focus to video creation for my YouTube Channel. I want to read more books and improve myself. I want to become fluent in Spanish (and maybe other languages eventually).
Now don't misconstrue that and assume my blogging journey is over! I am going to continue writing about my adventures and life lessons as they come. Removing the daily constraint will allow me to put even more effort into a single blog now. I can work on blogs for a few days before sharing them with all of you. There is not pressure to push out content every day so I believe the quality of my blogging will only improve. I also have been formulating some unique ideas around having my friends and adventure buddies write blogs on my site. You definitely want to subscribe so you don't miss any of this exciting content coming up. It is free so you have nothing to lose!
For all of those who have been reading my posts, thank you so much for coming along with me on this journey. If you have missed any of my blogs of the 30-day challenge, you can find every single one on this page.
That is all for me and for this challenge. I will see you all in the next blog!
Interested in following along with my journey more or connecting with me? Make sure to follow me on my socials!
Until next time!
-Hawkin