I’ve become an effective, efficient, reliable machine.
300 days ago I thought I’d just do 30 days of writing. Yippee, see what happens. Then go back to my “Yeah, I’ll get back into writing.” lifestyle–or lack thereof lifestyle. But back then I also wanted to get my WordPress course finished (read: started) and also work on some How To videos to help my partners help me with WordPress work. I had lots of things on my plate and I wasn’t doing much of any of them. They were “too big” and I needed Just One Free Week (which doesn’t exist, by the way) and I’d get it done. No, I needed to chip away at it everyday. That’s the only thing that works.
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Part of me can’t believe I’m at 300 days. 365 will be a year. But the part of me that got to 30 days knows the secret: it’s not about the 30, it’s about the 1. One big challenge these past 100 days was that we were traveling quite a bit. I wasn’t sure we’d have WiFi (we didn’t) or that I’d have my kids 24/7 and couldn’t find (read: make) the time to get it done plus client work plus vacation plus getting to the train on time.
What made it work? Priorities.
Here’s a breakdown of where those 300 posts (with an emphasis on the last 100) have gone. Of note, here are posts about the first 100 and then at 200.
WordPress U
My main focus these past 100 posts has been WordPress U. I just checked and I see that I bought wpu.me in May 2011. That’s when I wanted to get something of a WP help site going. In case you didn’t do the math, that’s two years ago. What’s been holding me back? Nothing. What’s the difference now? Now I have a conveyor belt of Get It Done where I just put things onto it and after it goes through the machine at the end of the belt, it’s one step further. What changed? I used to plan for the future (read: do nothing) about when I was going to get it done. Now the difference is that it’s going to get done today. By midnight at the latest. Period.
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With Write Every Day, excuses aren’t allowed. It’s going to get done. Something else might wait until tomorrow, but something is going to get published. It might not be the best, but it’s done, it’s a start, it’s better than nothing and I can come back to it and improve on it.
Breaking things down into smaller pieces is not only good for me to get it done, but I feel that it’s good for those who will learn from the course: if there’s a big topic, I try to break it down into Bite-Size Pieces so they can learn what they need when they need it and it’s hopefully not overwhelming.
Pass the Sour Cream
While my main focus was on WPU, I gave some love to The Cream. After a rip roaring April (where I did a contest), I’ve been posting less frequently and giving a go at some more informational or “useful” posts with a clear element of actionable help. For example, Bring Your Old Smartphone to Europe was something that I had struggled with for a few years and never could quite figure out–until now. Along the same lines, I tried out highlighting some products that I just can’t live without (The Best Travel Charger) as well as items that may seem silly, but can even be excellent gifts: The Best Gift for the Person Who Has Everything.
There are also a few posts that I just cannot hold back from writing. Topics that force me to write, won’t let me go until I get it down on paper. Those are the gems and those are a blast. Stilo Campo,
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Like a simmering soup, the good stuff will eventually come to the top. The Cream has pulled out of my core what I’m most passionate about–and can’t stop from writing about:
- Travel: I Love Airline Food, Mobile WiFi in Europe.
- Writing: What’s Going to Happen Next? and Want to Gain Confidence? Block Outside Influence.
- Language: Forget Foreign Language Camp. Choose Camp in a Foreign Language, and the whole series on Raising Bilingual Kids.
But remember the goal (or lack of goal) for the site: to get me to write. If that was the goal, I’m way past the finish line. I’m writing every day and I’ll keep writing every day. Oh, did I mention it’s fun? Did I mention my life is more full, complete, whole? Yeah, those are huge. Can’t buy those at Trader Joe’s.
Repossible
Repossible also focused in on a few core areas:
- Health: Going Gluten Free, I’m a strict vegetarian … except for meat, etc.
- Travel: Home Exchange series.
There were also some high quality guest posts. Tired but Wired by Adam Wiscomb provided some insight into pain relief and how easy it can be to achieve. Mike McGinty also gave us If You Want to Reach an Audience, Define Who They Are and showed us how important it is to know (no, really know) your audience. There’s a great test at the end, take it, see how well you do.
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Thanks to the response from the Repossible fans, I’m going deeper with more about Home Exchange as well as more health articles from non-doctors.
Likoma
Things are moving along well at Likoma and the best part is that I’m managing to do more with less (of me). I’m actually seeing progress and success with my improvements in experiments in delegation and in fact they’re no longer experiments: they’ve become the reality and the norm. Imagine: something that I used to think was impossible or at least so far in the future and in the clouds that it was unattainable is now the norm. How’s that for repossible?
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It might be because of the 365 milestone coming up, but I feel I’m in the home stretch. Also, WPU is closer to the finish than it is to the start and that’s exciting to be a part of. But I’ve built this machine and the machine is running. It’s like this big vat or blender or one of those tree chippers: you just throw whatever you want in there and it’s going to get taken care of. It’s become reliable. I can count on it to get things done. Even I’ve become more reliable, I’m getting things done I hadn’t dreamed of getting done. It’s actually happening. It’s slow, but it’s steady. In fact, I’ll take slow and steady over fast and hectic anyway.
- Possible: dream and even plan big projects.
- Impossible: do big projects in one fell swoop.
- Repossible: oil the machine, keep it running, keep it gassed up, take it one day at a time.
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thanks Bradley, as I’m staring at my 4 big to-do projects, I mean big, some even life long, and wonder how the hell am I ever going to even get started without feeling I’ll be consumed by it all or simply not ever complete — this works, one little action each day. I get it. That’s what makes a life, that what soul work is worth. on to it. … love, xo
Wow, “That’s what makes a life.” I’m going to quote you on that one. Oh, I just did.
But you’re right and I’m glad you pointed it out: it’s all of the little steps that make up the “big” step, the big thing, the big change. But it takes those little steps to get to the big step. Thanks so much for reminding me that this is what makes a life.
As you say: On to it!