A week ago, I started putting out an essay every day as part of Ship30for30, an online writing course I signed up for. Publishing daily sounded daunting initially, but after nine consecutive days of writing, I’m starting to enjoy this new morning ritual.
Writing improves your thinking.
Writing well requires clarity of thought. With only three hundred words to get an idea across to the reader, you need to be very clear in your mind what you’re trying to say. You can’t write well if your thinking is muddled.
Writing connects you to people.
I’ve mostly been writing about learning and K12 education. ‘Don’t Make Kids Learn Coding’ has been viewed 40,000 times and reshared 30 times on Twitter and LinkedIn. Many people, most of whom I don’t know, have commented on the post to voice their support for the core message of the essay — that creativity, imagination and empathy are far more important than learning how to code. I’ve also made friends with folks who are on the same writing journey. Ship30for30 has an awesome online community of beginner and experienced writers supporting each other’s work.
Writing every day builds discipline.
Consistency takes discipline. One of Ship30for30’s core tenets is this:
Writing and publishing every day for 30 days will change your life.
A daily writing habit doesn’t just happen. You need to set up a workflow designed to help you write every day, starting with sacred hours — blocked off chunks of time set aside for writing. Mine’s 8–9 am every morning, right after I put on a jazz record and make myself a cup of pour over coffee with my Kalita Hasami dripper.
It’s too early to say whether writing and publishing every day for 30 days will change my life, but I’m enjoying the process, making new friends, and hopefully sharpening my thinking. If you’re looking for a new challenge, consider signing up for the next cohort of Ship30for30 starting next January.
