It sounds simple to write thirty blogs in thirty days. In some ways, it is. But I’d never tracked my thoughts on a monthly basis, and was always interested in the general trends of my thinking. Do I think about the same things over and over? Does every day change the way I perceive the world? Are my thoughts the same month after month?

Before starting this challenge my blogging was sporadic. I’d write when an idea would excite me, or when I felt there was something to explore deeper. In these instances my thoughts would flow effortlessly and the writing process felt almost automatic. By typing up my thoughts I would shape them into a process that could be referenced in the future, used in connection with other ideas.

But during this 30 day stint, inspiration didn’t always strike. Some days I had compelling ideas that were easy to write about. Other days I struggled to find anything even worth saying. It’s interesting - writing isn’t always about waiting for the perfect idea, or even an idea at all - writing is about taking the time to regurgitate thoughts for the sake of understanding them.

I found that most days my mind looped around the same topics. I’d write about one idea, revisit it from a different angle, and end up unconsciously tying different blogs together in a circular pattern. I guess that’s how my mind works: finding connections, drawing parallels, and reanalyzing those same concepts. Because of this, some posts felt more like placeholders than fully formed pieces.

This was a humbling realization for me: not everything I write will be profound, and that’s okay. Not everything else I do in life will be profound, and that’s okay too. Blogging daily isn’t about producing a masterpiece every time - it’s about consistency and discipline. In forcing myself to show up day in and day out, I had unlocked one of the secrets of life: not every experience is profound, but there’s meaning in it anyway.

The Process of Writing

One of the lessons I learned was the importance of proofreading with fresh eyes. There were multiple times when I wrote something, happy and often enthused with the raw product, and then after revision, embarrassed that I would even consider posting it. Ideas that seemed fascinating in my mind ended up being repetitive, obvious, and unnecessary when translated to paper.

Looking back over articles was about fixing mistakes as much as fixing the whole premise: reading something after a break gives an entirely new perspective, almost as if I was reading someone else’s work. It makes sense too - in order to truly understand something it takes time to refine the premise, find alternative points of view, and finally form opinions.

Then, there’s the role of our environments. It’s interesting, but not shocking, how much our surroundings shape our creativity and work ethic. Whether in writing, work, or relationships, the environment we place ourselves in dictates the quality of what we produce. If we surround ourselves with inspiration, we create inspired work.

So whenever anything significant happened in my life, it naturally found its way into my writing. No matter how much I tried to work around events they permeated through my thoughts and thrust their way onto the page. Non-fiction books must be hard to write because they force one’s self to relay thoughts for the purpose of reiterating rather than reflecting.

And when life became stagnant, writing became a struggle. It’s harder to pull fresh ideas from a place of monotony. Even editing suffers when this happens, because there’s no ‘new person’ looking at the material - it’s the same person who wrote it. There’s some important relationship between experiences, writing, and drafting - because when imbalanced, writing becomes one dimensional.

Another rewarding aspect of this challenge was finding my voice as a writer. Through the process of depicting my thoughts, I found that I was presenting myself on paper in a very ‘me’ way. Many times I’d start a blog heading in one direction only to find that the final product was entirely different. It resonated deeply with my path as an individual: starting in one place, and due to a variety of factors, often ending up somewhere different. Whether this makes me adaptable or conforming depends on the situation, but it does verify that the “flow” I explain in one of my blogs really does exist.

Next Steps

Now that I’ve followed through, the first step will be rest and reflection. Afterwards, I’d love to analyze my works and identify recurring themes. An idea I’ve had is throwing all of my blogs into an AI to try and find patterns in both thought and writing style, to better structure my thoughts. Maybe there are some connections between my daily thoughts and my future interests that can’t be seen on a granular level.

I definitely want to continue writing. I did this challenge in the first place to test two things: my ability to stick with the hobby, and potential interest in continuing it thereafter. It was a huge success, not just because I had fun tracking my thoughts, but because I found passion in writing more pieces in the future. I got a lot of positive feedback from friends and family who read the blog, which is also pushing me forward to achieve these goals.

Of course, I’m not entirely sure how this will all play out. This may turn into a book, a business venture, or something else entirely, but there will come a day when all of my thoughts come together. Until then, I’ll be here periodically updating with my latest philosophies and tribulations on life. Thanks for reading and supporting me!