The Finish / Starting Line

Here We Go

Today we reached finish line. And today we reached the starting line. If you have been playing along, we have finished our twenty-eight day experiment, and now we can start our next experiment. Here we go. Right after we take a quick glance back.

The First Experiment

Four weeks ago, You and I experimented to see if we could make progress toward completing a project. I decided to work on a writing project I had been putting off for some time. I wanted to keep this experiment simple and so easy I couldn’t possibly fail. My experiment was to devote just one minute a day toward this project. And I encouraged you to do the same.

My Personal Experiment

For my twenty-eight days, I chose to edit a writing project. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been working on my habit of daily writing. I love to journal and write and share ideas about how to live life better, and my writing habit is pretty well established. But I usually don't spend a lot of time editing. Regular readers of this blog can attest to that. So I knew I needed to begin this practice if I planned to improve my writing and publish my work. During this experimental period, I continued my daily habit of writing but intentionally dedicated additional time each day to editing. Just showing up one minute a day. And it was a success. In a way.

Surprised, but Not Really

I knew that the simple practice of showing up was all that mattered in the beginning. I was just trying to establish a habit. I knew that I could make significant progress over time just by being consistent. What I didn’t realize was how quickly I could gain ground by in just "one minute."

Sidenote and Confession

Quick sidenote: Of course I knew that once I showed up and started editing, I would spend more than one minute working. Which is, of course, the ultimate goal.

Quick confession: On average, I would spend 10 to 20 minutes a day. It really wasn’t much of a time commitment, but this gave me permission to finish each day with a sense of closure even if all I did was the one minute. I made progress each day (plus a little extra) and for each day that was enough.

Celebrating My Imperfection and Growth

Each of us are where we are. The question is, where do we go from here? The next questions is how do I start today? This is my mantra as a teacher, coach, and chaplain. We are all imperfect beings. Then we can all make daily progress and grow. Small daily growth is hard to see, so we need to find ways to celebrate our small gains.

Imperfectly Completed Project

On July 30, I came to a moment of closure. My writing project was far from perfect but I embraced the imperfectly completed project, yet edited project. I even went so far as to self-publish this project.The book is called ...grace and peace. You can find it HERE on Amazon.

The What and Why of This Project

This writing project is a collection of my “Notes from the Chaplain.” Twenty-six notes. For six months I have written weekly letters designed to encourage and give hope to my friends in the Brown County Jail. I realized that guys come and go from the jail, and often miss notes that they may find valuable. I wanted to catch up the new guys and when I was doing and also give them something they could take after they left. I thought a small book could help serve both of these purposes.

We Are All Imperfect, but We Can All Get Started, and We Can All Get Better

This small book, like its author, is certainly imperfect. I understand that the growth process is often messy. And I’m OK with that. So welcome to the mess that is my first published book.

Bonus

Since I “finished” my first project and I still had time on the 28 minute clock, I begin a second editing project. This is a book called, be transformed. Not ironically subtitled, “the 28 day intentional living experiment.” You may recognize this from a PDF of a writing project I shared with you earlier. I’ve only been editing this a few “minutes” but I’m already seeing a lot of improvement. I plan to share it as well upon completion.

Here I Stand at the Finish / Starting Line

I don't know about you, but I needed this experiment. Now I can start my next experiment. If feels good to embrace my imperfections knowing that I am making daily progress. If feels good to show up and keep showing up. It feels good to cross the finish line. And it feels good to step up to the starting line again. Congratulations! You did it! Now, here we go again. On our mark, let's get set, and let's go!