People don’t know me yet but the habit of writing is established
It’s been 18 months since I started to write online and I cannot believe what I already achieved. It’s not a big success yet but it’s more than I expected in this short period.
There were ups and downs. Time when I didn’t see any improvement, and time I had a lot.
I’m proud to say that I learned a lot, made some friends, and achieved more than I thought.
Of course, some writers did achieve more in 1.5 years, but I’m taking it slow and steady, as I don’t have much time on the side.
Here are my 7 learnings:
Achievement #1: Publishing with a publication on Medium
I never thought I was good enough to get published somewhere. I’ve been writing every week since August 2022 and I’m still thinking that I don’t deserve any of the small successes I already had.
I’m so happy that publications are also accepting new writers because it gave me a lot of confidence to be able to publish here.
It motivated me to improve my writing and some have great communities on Slack where I learned a lot and met a lot of great people.
You can do it too! If you already have some good posts, click on the page of any publication and there is usually a description on how to get published there.
I’m grateful for all the work the people behind publications are doing.
They make it possible to be seen by a bigger audience on Medium, for free. It’s a big boost for your following and views.
Achievement #2: Improved my Medium income to 8$
I know it isn’t much. But for me, it’s huge because it shows me that I’m able to get paid for my writing.
It’s a motivation for me and I will celebrate all the small steps along the way.
I enjoy the path to my goal else I will not be happy. We will achieve the goal once in our lives but the path is your life.
Celebrate the small successes, be motivated by them also through rough times, and then consistently work on your goal.
That’s what kept me going.
I had some long stagnant months last year when my income and my follower amount sometimes decreased, and I was demotivated. But the community and the success stories kept me going, and I’m grateful for them.
I 100% recommend also building a following on X, as there are a lot of writers there and it’s a great community of helping each other.
“The path is the goal”
— Mahatma Gandhi
Achievement #3: Famous writers like Tim Denning and Alex Mathers replied on X
Starting to write on Twitter (now X) was the best idea ever.
I didn’t know my favorite writers were there too and were replying and giving more tips.
Interacting with them by writing replies is huge and at first, I was afraid but I got great replies and feedback, and it’s great to get a connection and to see that they are humans too.
On X, you get your daily inspiration and motivation.
Just follow people who are positive and who you want in your community.
It’s a great community there: you find like-minded people who also start writing online or are a few steps ahead.
We share problems, solutions, and tips, and help each other grow and stay consistent.
“The need for connection and community is primal, as fundamental as the need for air, water and food.”
— Dean Ornish
Achievement #4: A morning routine and daily writing habit established
I established a habit of writing around 30 minutes a day (except for weekends).
I struggled to fit my writing into my daily schedule. But after reading the book “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod I was hooked on routines, and I established a morning habit with writing.
I already once experimented with morning routines when I read “The 5 AM Club” by Robin Sharma but I couldn’t stick to waking up at 5 am because I’m volunteering at a student organization where the meetings are in the evening and can go longer.
But reading about the morning routine from Hal Elrod made me start again.
Go read “Miracle Morning” by Hal Elrod (or watch the movie free on the internet) and I promise you will be hooked and want to do that too.
It’s totally possible to do it in the morning before going to work.
Achievement #5: Able to write online next to university, work, and volunteering
Do you also make excuses as to why you can’t start something now?
I had the same excuses:
- I will start when I have less to do for university
- I will start when this deadline at work is over
- I will start when there is less to do at my organization
And it never happened. There is always something new coming.
So in August 2022, I said f*ck it, I will do it anyway.
The only time in the day I have quiet time to write is in the morning so I started writing in the morning and it changed my life.
I believe in myself more because I already achieved something before I get to work. It’s a great feeling!
Give it a try! Wake up a little earlier and do your personal morning routine. It will change you!
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”
— Benjamin Franklin
Achievement #6: Confident enough to start posting on Instagram where all my friends see it
I was not a big fan of social media. I rarely posted something on Instagram or Facebook. I have had this feeling since middle school that I will get judged for everything.
Since I read the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck” by Mark Manson my view of the world changed. I don’t care anymore what other people say.
It’s my life.
So I started to use Twitter and LinkedIn. I was afraid to click “Publish” but I know I have to do it because that’s how I connect with my readers and that’s how I get my message out.
Some great things happened: people told me in person that they like what I’m writing about, and some joined my newsletter.
I’m happy that I can make other people happy!
Don’t be afraid to post something on Twitter or LinkedIn. You are not the only one there, and it’s hard to get attention anyway.
Write what you want to write about and you will find the people who will follow you and like you!
Achievement #7: Went out of my bubble and interacted with other people (not wsed to doing that on the internet)
Last but not least, I learned to interact with people on the internet.
What? I didn’t do that before? No, because I didn’t know who was behind the profile and I’m not a fan of talking with strangers.
I still don’t write DMs to strangers, but maybe next year 😉
Interacting with like-minded people on Twitter or LinkedIn made me realize that I belong there. They understand me, they help me and they like me.
They like every interaction and reply to their posts.
At first, I was afraid to reply to posts because I didn’t want to bother someone. Do they want to hear my opinion?
But as soon as I wrote some replies I got a lot of great feedback and also followers. Everyone is kind and appreciates every reply.
Such a great community! So don’t be afraid to hit reply on the posts you like!
Conclusion
These months I’m taking more time to invest in my online business and it pays off.
I increased my following on Medium and X by a lot, and also my newsletter is getting some more recognition.
I’m now confident to share my stories and my learnings, and it’s the key to reaching people and getting more attention.
I recommend you take the jump and start writing online too. You will pour out your thoughts, they will get more clear and you will find like-minded people from the whole world.
Less Stress. More Time. Less Overwhelmed!
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