‘Becoming’: It just takes Practice

What you practice, you become.

I first mentioned this quote in January, 2018, when I was 29 days into my 365 day journey of blogging every day that year. Looking back now, I can see that completing this goal must have felt very far away back then. And at least part of me, must have wondered if this project, like the blogs and articles and novels before it, would start strong and fizzle out into nothing before long. 

But today – a year and a quarter later – I can say happily that I did complete this blog. Every single day.

So what changed? What inspired me actually follow through this time? 

And I think I have the answer – I focused on the goal system, not the goal.

There wasn’t any real thought to where this was going; no lofty dreams or expectations. So although my overall goal was to write 365 blogs, my day-to-day focus was grounded in writing one blog, each day.

That was my goal.

That’s what provided the instant gratification.

And that’s what worked.

For once, I wasn’t trying to become a writer. I was just trying to write.

And guess what? This practice had some happy side effects. The self-doubting inner-voice became quieter; the urge to procrastinate became weaker; the will to just write and be creative became stronger.

Here I stand today, still writing here three times a week, as well as on my business blog, as well as with with upwards of 30 wellbeing articles published in TES (Times Educational Supplement).

Somewhere along the way, I guess I’ve actually become a blogger. Or even, dare I say it, a writer.

If I’d have set myself a challenge such as this, back at the start of 2018, I’m not sure I’d have made it. Yet here I am, having done what I’d previously thought un-do-able, simply because I actually started practicing. 

So my advice to you is to focus less on far-away goals and achievements and instead look to the small-wins; the daily action.