Writing

I wrote a longer article every week for three months

Here's what I learned in the process.

Paul Mah

Paul Mah

— 2 min read
I wrote a longer article every week for three months
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Alternate Skate

I made myself write a LinkedIn article every Sunday for 15 weeks in a row. Here's what I learned.

I started posting daily on LinkedIn at the end of April 2023, and I believe it made me a better writer.

  • Going the distance in short spurts.
  • Practice makes perfect.
  • Becoming a constant storyteller.

(Read "Getting better at writing starts with... writing" for my insights here.)

But today's post isn't about that.

Start of a new adventure

A few months ago, I wondered if there's all there is to it. Could I stretch myself further? What if I challenged myself to write something deeper, at least once a week?

And so, a new adventure began.

I didn't have many tangible goals. But I wanted to write long-form pieces that are easy to read, insightful, and make people pause and think.

I've done it for 15 weeks so far, and here's what I learned in the process.

  1. The power of focus

In my infinite wisdom, I decided to wake up earlier on Sunday mornings to write them. This meant I had just 2 hours before having to prep the kids and head to church.

I absolutely had to focus.

  • Scaffold and flesh out ideas at speed.
  • Ditch tangents that don't advance the story.
  • Figure out how to leverage AI tools to help, too.

Thankfully, I succeeded more often than not. I think.

And no, I didn't manage to get every piece out in the morning.

  1. Writing structures your thoughts

Ever spoken to someone who clearly knows his or her stuff, but who bumbles around in circles? Or have you ever heard an articulate leader speak with clarity and precision?

Structure is the key to effective communication and impactful messages.

And writing teaches you to structure your thoughts methodically. It forces you to:

  • Organise your ideas coherently.
  • Make points flow naturally to the next.
  • Guide readers to a logical conclusion.
  1. The power of your subconscious

Amazingly, I discovered how powerful our subconscious minds can be.

The best content I wrote came from the following process:

  • Read extensively on a topic.
  • Mull over it away from my desk.
  • BUT without the need for a conclusion.

And when I sit down on Sunday morning to write it up after a good night's sleep, magic happens.

Do you write regularly, or do you plan to?

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