The halfway point

November 22, 2024

This post is part of my 30in30 challenge, where I write 30 minutes every day for 30 working days. Due to my limited time for this challenge, the content will be only very lightly researched and edited. The idea is to just write. Find my voice, and find the courage to publish. To follow my curiosity wherever it may take me.

Today is day 15 of this 30in30 challenge. I'm halfway through.

It's a bit surreal to think that I've come this far. From the fear of judgment that once held me back from sharing my writing, to now, where I've been consistently writing and publishing for the past 3 weeks.

With no plan, no preparation, no research.

As I reach this halfway point, I'm filled with a mix of emotions: pride, disbelief, and a touch of exhaustion. It's been quite a journey so far.

Today, I will contemplate what I have learned during this challenge so far.

Writing every day does make writing easier. Who would have thought? It doesn't mean writing is easy, but it does mean that it doesn't feel as big in my head as it did before.
30 minutes to write and publish aren't enough. I only managed to stick to the limit a couple of times at the beginning of the challenge, but it took me longer and longer as time went on. I still manage to write and publish in about an hour, but I usually do only some writing in one go. I start, get busy with something else, and then return to finish later.
I have so many interests! I enjoy exploring various aspects of the world and the life I live. How does everything work? Why do some things happen the way they do? How can I improve myself? I love research and digging deep into a concept or a problem. Having limited time to write these articles doesn't allow me to do proper research, but it allows me to explore various topics without feeling overwhelmed.
I am stubborn and committed. During these past 3 weeks, I have been ill, I have been tired, I have been busy. I went out in the evening a few times, which meant I had to write late at night to publish something. I could not have published that day, but I did it anyway. When I commit to something, truly commit, I have to complete it. I still don't know if I will be able to do the full 30 days because the challenge is getting harder as time goes on, but having made it halfway through is beyond amazing.
I enjoy writing. I really enjoy writing. I wish I had more time to write, research, take notes, and dig deep. To interview people and read research papers - not just the introduction, but the entire paper. I'm eager to move on from these short, surface-level articles to something more detailed, well-researched, and much longer. In fact, I can already see the outline of a book forming in my mind. Three books, to be precise, 😅.

I'm excited to see what the next 15 days will bring. What new insights I will gain about myself and my writing.

The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.

Fyodor Dostoevsky