The Experiment

Three months ago I started an experiment: Write a post every week - and see what happens. My biggest learning was how little I actually knew (and know) about writing. It's an art form, and I'm just starting to wrap my head around it. Still, I'm in a different place than I was three months ago.

Here's what I learned about time management, ego and imposter syndrome by starting to write online:

Pay yourself first.

Two hours to write a post are probably easy to find, even in a busy week. At least that’s what I thought before I started. But then the week happens & I stand there postless on a Monday morning. The antidote comes from personal finance: "Pay yourself first."

So now, I calendar-block two hours to write before the week starts. Because I know they’re gonna magically fill up otherwise. And this applies to any project. If you wanna get it done - intentionally make time.

Narratives over Numbers.

Humans learn through stories, not stats. Psychology happens everywhere & every day, not just somewhere in labs and therapists’ offices.

So the central question for any post is: How does this apply to life? The story comes first, and research supports it. Not the other way around.

Start with the End in Mind.

I find lots of things interesting. But if they don’t add value to the key idea, they’re distracting.

To avoid them, I develop the Takeaway first, and work my way back. If a story or concept doesn’t contribute to the point, it’s a distraction today.

Don't indulge in the ads.

Turns out my drafts are riddled with unnecessary adjectives. But as proposed by William Zinsser in his classic On Writing Well, most adjectives can just be replaced with stronger nouns: A valuable discovery becomes an insight.

The same goes for adverbs. To really value or to appreciate?

A clear sentence is no accident. If it doesn't serve a purpose - it must go.

Qualitative & Quantitative Feedback

My first post explored Imposter Syndrome. This idea of “Who am I to talk about xy?”. 13 Posts later, I found that:

Numbers change nothing. More likes, less likes - same Imposter.

But words do. A single DM that a post was helpful, and the week was successful.

Building that evidence for yourself, slowly but surely, chips away at the Imposter.