It's fitting that as I begin this journey to find out if I really want to be an author that I talk about a video that I recently watched by Noah Kagan.
There's so much in the beginning of this video that resonates with me. I have made numerous attempts at starting blogs, podcasts, and live streaming, only to give up days later.
Where would those projects be if I had just stuck with them today?
The idea behind the Law of 100
In the video, Kagan talks about a study that was done at the University of Miami. A class of photography students was given the choice of have their grade based on a choice.
They could choose to take 100 photos and receive an 'A' or they could take one photo, but it had to be a "perfect" photo. Quantity vs Quality!
Unsurprisingly, the quantity group produced better work, because they took more chances, practiced more and got better over time.
My plan
So, I am committing to writing 100 posts to find out for myself what areas really spark my interest.
I will be exploring a lot of topics, through these next 99 posts (Yes, this post is going to count!) I want to improve my skills as a writer and hopefully find a way to leave my mark.
Another reason for doing this is to develop a daily writing habit and to have an outlet to express myself.
I am not going to be super concerned about analytics, but if you find something that really resonates with you, please share the post with your friends. It really means a lot.
This is all about the journey!
His 9 tips and how they apply to me
- Pick your day. In this case, with this blog, my day is going to be everyday. I am committing to writing one post everyday, for 100 days.
- Reduce the friction. For me, this means to have the tools that I need at hand whenever an idea occurs. Whether it's the Notes app on my phone, Obsidian to capture ideas when at my desk. I like to write in the morning, so I will determine what I am going to write about the night before and stick to the plan
- Get an accountability buddy. In order to stay the course, it's a good idea to have someone that you can share your progress with. Someone that can keep you honest. For me, this has always been my wife, Cara.
- Join a community. It's all about finding a tribe to run with. I am fairly certain that I can locate a community of folks like me on Twitter or Facebook. You can find me there as well at the links in the upper right corner.
- Take a break. This doesn't mean to go for days without writing something when it gets tough. I've already done this and that's when I quit. Kagan says to go for a walk when something doesn't feel right about the project. Gain some clarity. And that leads us to the next tip...
- Notice what's working. Take a step back and look at what is enjoyable about the project, what areas I enjoy writing about. What topics have gotten some traction. Again, I am not going to be super concerned about things day to day, but will take a pulse from time to time.
- Have a clear why. My "why" is someday I'd like to publish a book. As long as I can remember, I have wanted to see my name on the cover of a book. My hope is that through this blog I can find the subject matter for that book. In a sense, I am "building in public."
- Make it fun. As I've mentioned earlier, if this ever becomes more work than play. I'll need to step back and get some perspective. Focus on the things I like that make the process fun.
- Reward yourself. Week to week, this will likely mean a trip to Starbucks when I've completed the seven posts for the week. On Day 100....stay tuned!
I can't wait to see what I discover on my journey through these next 99 posts.
Wish me luck and pray for me!!!
