I spent seven days nonstop creating—writing daily, mapping out ideas from paper to screen, and turning dreams of writing into daily practice. What have I learned from that?
I sat down to reflect on this today when the 9-5 dragged on. It was a day when I wanted to go to the park with my wife and kids instead of sitting in a meeting about a meeting. It was a day when working on this platform was the only "work" I wanted.
Lessons Learned So Far
I'm Happier
It's surprising, but writing daily and publishing it has brought me immense joy. Even when I'm staying up till 11:55, working till the last minute to get that final sentence right, I'm happier. Creating brings me more joy than consuming ever did. Seeing ideas that were once dreams come to life is overjoying. Why didn't I do this sooner?
My Mind Is Clearer
I've never been more mindful of the words that come out of my mouth than I have in the past week. Writing is simple, yet what it allows the human mind to process is extraordinary. This clarity has made me more aware of my thoughts and actions.
I Can Do the Hard Thing
Writing once seemed like a wall I'd never get past. Creating felt like it wasn't meant for me. It wasn't easy. Who's going to read my words? I know nothing about being a "writer." It's too hard. I'll watch. But here I am, breaking down that wall for seven days straight. Here I am, doing the hard thing.
Overthinking Is a Waste of Good Brain Energy
Overthinking is a staple in today's society. We overthink the most minor things in a world where we can make anything in hours. This lesson was easier to learn because I had a time restriction on my creations. It might be something I stick with—we shall see. But overthinking wastes good brain energy, and perfection is never something we will reach. Ideas can be produced one way and change completely a year later. The words we create daily, the videos, the podcasts, the art—it's never really done. Every bit of creation contributes to the broader masterpiece, which is humanity. So why overthink anything? Just create everything!
Words Are Hard
I've kept pocket notebooks for the last two years—a habit I'll delve into more in a mini-series later this month. Writing in those pages was simple: had a thought? Put it down. No worrying about how the sentence flowed or how it would be received, no concern for perfection. Now, I find myself battling with sentences, and if it weren't for the goal of posting daily this month, I'd probably be frozen by that struggle. It feels as if each word silently judges its placement—a battle of magic and imagination.
Reflection
Reflecting on these lessons, I realize how much these seven days of consistent creation have impacted my life. It's about the joy of creating and the clarity and confidence it has given me. I've pushed past my doubts and fears daily, proving I can do hard things.
Until tomorrow, I am Working on getting a better plan together for this month to make sure even though I only have a day, I can make the most of it. Truly love this experiment.
John D