My First Ever 1000 Words

Release date: 1 Oct 2024

Views: 134

I have not liked the idea of writing for most of my life. Maybe that was due to the context in which I thought about writing. Recently however, I have become motivated to start writing consistently.

To achieve this goal, I have a challenge for myself.

1000 words a day.

Why I disliked writing

I remember back in school when I was 14 years old in religious studies class, a subject where the exams are usually essay based. You get asked a question and you have to write an answer that is sometimes a full page long.

I used to find just the idea of writing answers that long tiring. How can they expect me to write so much? What more can I say on this topic? It wasn't so much that I didn't know what the answer was. Nor that I didn't like the subject. I just didn't know how I could stretch my answer so long that it covers a full page. I was good at summarising and answering stuff in short.

This reason made me dislike subjects where the questions are formatted in a way where you are EXPECTED to write paragraphs upon paragraphs for full marks.

This also may be partly the reason why I loved mathematics. No paragraphs of answers needed. I loved any maths in any subject. You are given an equation and you have to solve it. There is a definitive answer. Got the answer? That's it. Job done. Next question.

Starting to like writing

Recently though, almost a decade after school, following some authors like Derek Sivers, Austin Kleon and some other accounts on Twitter, something has been ignited within me that really makes me want to start writing properly.

This didn't just happen suddenly though.

Back in 2022 as well, I had an itch to start writing. I really loved the idea of being an author on the side anyway. Having my own book. But because of one thing or another I just didn't pursue it. In hindsight maybe it was not believing that I can. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't properly think about it. I just liked the idea of being an author but not the work that came with it.

Almost 2 years later, this new feeling is different.

I want to become a consistent writer. Notice how the goal is not an author. A consistent writer. Simply someone who writes. That's not hard.

The google definition of the word writer says "a person who has written something or who writes in a particular way."

I can do that.

Writing is not hard. What is hard though is writing consistently. Writing everyday. Having things you want to write about. That is hard.

I recently listened to an episode of Ali Abdaal's podcast, Deep Dive with Ali Abdaal with a guest appearance from Nathan Barry. Who is the CEO of Convertkit (re-branding to just kit).

He shared his experience with writing and how he made himself write 1000 words everyday.

1000 words. Every. Single. Day.

That is insane. Because for me 1000 words seem like a mountain right now.

He got this idea from Chris Guillebeau. I didn't know both of these guys before watching this episode. As soon as I heard that though I immediately searched up and downloaded his famous PDF 279 Days to Overnight Success. Apparently in that he shared this idea.

I can't wait to read that.

I got super inspired by this episode.

This episode was the final push I needed to finally commit myself to a goal or a challenge that will help me become a consistent writer.

The goal isn't to publish everyday. It's not to write a masterclass of a book either.

It's simply to just write.

I'm not completely new to this.

In the past month, I have been journaling. I'm not sure why I started that. Maybe it was after reading some work from Derek Sivers that inspired me. Journaling has been fun. I want to do more of it.

How am I going to become a consistent writer?

I'm going to use something that has worked well for me in the past.

Keeping a streak.

I love setting myself a challenge that drives me towards a goal.

Some examples of when it has worked:

• Pushing code to GitHub every single day until I get my first Software Engineer job.
• Exercising everyday to become more fit and gain weight. Gained 10 KG after struggling to do it for years.
• Playing league of legends everyday until I get masters rank. (The goal may have been stupid in hindsight, but I was young and I did achieve it. It felt awesome at the time.)

I have seen in the past that something like this works for me. Now after having discovered a challenge (sort of) of writing 1000 words a day, if I can get even remotely close to that goal then it would be an amazing personal achievement.

1000 words a day. Everyday.

If I miss a day, I have to make it up on the next day.

Why do I want to do this?

I went on a walk before I started writing and thought about this.

Why? What's the point of this?

Of course I don't want to be doing something that I don't enjoy. And definitely not something that might steer me away from my future goals.

The following is what I came up with.

I want to become a consistent writer (repeating the goal) because:

• I want to become a better communicator.
• I want to write books in the future.
• I find writing peaceful. The actual activity of just writing your thoughts down, being creative, is very therapeutic and enjoyable.

That is what I could come up for now. I think I'm forgetting something. It may come to me later. But those are the reasons why I want to write consistently.

There might be some unrealised benefits.

It might unlock an avenue for me in the future that I simply can't fathom right now. I'll realise it when it actually happens.

And just like that, as you read this I have completed my first ever 1000 words with intention.

And I enjoyed every second of writing this.