My First Million
June, June, and June
My practice began three Junes ago. A practice that I still hold today. Three Junes ago, I made the transformation from dabbling writer to intentional writer. I didn’t have a plan or format in mind, I just wanted to begin writing more consistently so I began the practice of daily writing. I haven’t missed a day since. One month after that June three Junes ago, I began my next practice of expressing gratitude every day. Since then, I haven’t missed a day. Five months after that June three Junes ago, I posted my first blog. I made a decision to consistently share some thoughts and writings on my “have an optimal day” website. I haven’t missed a week since.
Clear, Fogg, and Duhigg
Three Junes ago, I was reading and learning about habits and habit formation. James Clear, B.J. Fogg, and Charles Duhigg were three of my favorite writers on the topic. Using their research and suggestions, I began focusing on small habits and developing consistency as a writer. I created tiny goals and designed my writing environment that helped me show up and keep showing up. I knew that if I were serious about writing, the key would be to focus on consistency.
Coyle, Ericsson, and Colvin
A few Junes leading up to the three Junes ago, I was fascinated with skill development and deliberate practice. I started by reading Daniel Coyle, then Geoffrey Colvin, and then Anders Ericsson. As a teacher and a coach, I enjoyed discovering how to move beyond proficiency to mastery. What I learned was practical and easy to apply with my students and athletes. The study of skills and practice was a valuable precursor to my interest and study of habits and systems.
I Noticed, I Wondered, and I Checked
In my most recent June, I noticed something. I noticed my word counts have been increasing significantly. In the spirit of deliberate practice and habit development, my focus was on consistency and attention to the craft of writing. I noticed that my “goal” of one daily gratitude, one daily sentence of a journal, and one weekly note in my blog were becoming more fully developed and were consistently increasing in length. I stared wondering how much I was actually writing. I know many writers have word count goals, so I wondered how much I was averaging. I checked and looked back over the last several weeks and months and found that my gratitude entries were typically fifty to two three hundred words. I noticed that my journals and blogs were both in the range of three to six hundred words. With some quick math, I estimated that my total word count was somewhere around half a million words in the last three years.
My First Million
Of course, these are very rough numbers, but I find this fascinating. A simple daily habit has developed into something special for me. I didn’t have a goal of hitting any arbitrary huge number count, I just wanted to write. Now here I am, halfway to my first million. At some point, I’ll cross that mile marker. And I’ll keep going. As is true with most pursuits, the joy of this journey outweighs the joy of the destination. I’m just three short years into this daily practice, and I certainly have a long way to go as a writer. With practice, I’m better than I used to be, but I’m not where I hope to be. One thing is for sure, I definitely plan to hang in there and see what happens over the next few more Junes.
