25 Days of Writing Advent
This month, I challenge you to write consistently and resiliently.
In March, I published my first Medium piece, The truth is I’m a Black Woman. I discussed my experience as a black woman growing up and the problems I faced discussing race. Since then, I’ve continued to write articles on Medium, and it’s been a fantastic journey. However, despite publishing pieces monthly, I lack the discipline to write frequently. I know I can improve my writing if I develop good writing habits, but I also know I need a slight push in the right direction to develop those habits. With that said, I’m kicking off December with the 25 Days of Writing Advent, and I encourage you to join me! Even if you’re not a writer, dedicate the next 25 days to a skill you want to improve.
To develop a new skill, one needs to build good habits, and the two challenging parts of building good habits are resilience and consistency. New habits don’t develop overnight. Research suggests it can take anywhere between 18 to 254 days to establish a new habit. And on average, it takes 66 days for that new habit to become automatic. That’s a long time to dedicate to a habit before it feels as natural as breathing. By developing good habits, skills start to mature.
This challenge provides a foundation to begin developing good habits as a writer. It should encourage writing daily, even without curation or publication. It cultivates perseverance in the face of adversity; write every day even if you’re tired or discouraged.
This challenge also prompts one to look at life with a microscope to find writing content. We cycle through so many thoughts in a day, but chances are those thoughts aren’t written down. Through this challenge, no idea should go undocumented because it can potentially make good content.
This challenge should stimulate ideas and give rise to questions like: What are some intriguing things you’ve learned today? What’s something you read that is turning your gears? What are some skills you overlook but might be valuable to other people?
The 25 Days of Writing is not an easy fare to complete. Remember, this challenge is about building good habits, resilience, and consistency; it’s not just about completing the 25 days. Therefore, it’s crucial to be kind to yourself if you miss a day, don’t throw in the towel. Keep persevering to reach the goal to the best of your ability.
After your final publish, scroll through all your work and pat yourself on the back. You’ve given yourself the gift of accomplishment. Nothing feels better than fulfilling a goal.
After congratulating yourself, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is one thing you learned about yourself and one thing you can improve on? (Be specific)
- If you were to modify this challenge and try again, how would you measure your success? (Determine what success looks like to you)
- What resources can you think of that can help improve your skills?
- Does this challenge motivate you to continue to write frequently, even if it’s not daily? And do you want to continue investing in this skill?
- What is a sustainable routine going forward so you can continue developing this habit?
With the answers to these questions, you’ve developed a S.M.A.R.T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goal. S.M.A.R.T. goals allows individuals to make achievable and meaningful goals. As I’ve mentioned before, this challenge provides a foundation for developing good habits as a writer. The real challenge is continuing to be consistent and resilient in the New Year. This S.M.A.R.T. goal makes for the perfect New Years Resolution.
So what are you waiting for? Get writing … or whatever skill you want to develop!
