Well, today is the end of my 20-minute-a-day writing challenge. There were three days I didn’t post and two days where I didn’t write at all. The challenge was a positive experience for me for three main reasons:
- It pushed me to get more focused. I live in my head a lot, overthinking and overanalyzing rather than just doing. With this project, I was forced to get out of my head because I knew I had a short period of time in which to write. Granted, I did spend more than twenty minutes on the blog some days, but not much. And I knew that if I spent time thinking about what I wanted to write or trying to craft the perfect sentence, I would get pulled away by other responsibilities–usually, a baby waking up. With that heightened focus, I was able to actually sit down and start writing almost immediately each day.
- It encouraged me to do more than I thought I could. I still often feel like I have no time beyond caring for my children and taking care of the home (and my housekeeping is far from perfect). I honestly didn’t know if I would be able to work on this project every day. But the old adage came to my mind many days during this experience: “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” While caring for my family is my number one priority, and it is a full-time job right now, this challenge reminded me that I can do more than I thought–it just takes effort and focus.
- It increased my confidence in myself. Sometimes we need to push ourselves for the mere reminder that we can do more than we think we can. I have never had an over-abundance of confidence, which has hurt me in many ways over the years, but I have been working hard to see this as an area for improvement and growth. I used to think you were either confident or you weren’t, but confidence, like most things, is a skill we can grow. It is through challenges and triumphs (and sometimes even failures) that confidence grows.
As this challenge comes to a close, I am excited because I have a few other projects lined up. Through consistent dedication and a plan of action, I know I will be able to complete these new challenges as well.
I encourage you to think about something you’ve been wanting to do and break it down into bite-sized action steps, and then challenge yourself to do something every day for the next month to work on that passion. Even if you can’t complete the project in a month, you will absolutely come out the other side feeling encouraged and empowered by slow and steady progress–and hopefully, like me, you’ll have fun along the way!
