Over a year of daily writing

750 Words per day really adds up

Photo by Patrick Fore on Unsplash

For the past 380 days, I've been writing at least 750 words per day. Yes, this streak includes weekends, holidays, and days when I've felt sick, rundown and just plain unmotivated.

I'm not saying this to brag, but I am saying it to highlight the value of setting up an infrastructure to help support your goals. Several years ago, I set a goal to have a publication on Substack that consistently posted at least twice per week. And the best way for me to stick to this goal was to build a daily writing habit. And what was the simplest way for me to ensure success with this goal? Well, for me it was writing everyday using a program called 750 Words.

I've written about 750 Words before if you want to go check it out. They're not sponsoring this post and while I love their product, there is nothing super unique about it. You can just as easily set a writing goal and use pen and paper instead. But 750 Words has been extremely motivating for me. It's a way to continue a daily journaling habit that also clears my brain to tackle more complicated daily tasks.

The 750 word goal comes from the idea of daily morning pages. A typical morning pages routine might involve writing out three pages of free writing upon waking up. Those three pages equates to roughly...750 words. My writing doesn't actually always happen in the morning. Sometimes other parenting and work duties take precedent. But I always make sure to find time for the writing at some point in the day.

I like to switch up the idea of morning pages by sometimes writing up a recap of my day in the evening. Or sometimes a mid-day writing break really clears my mind if I'm stressed out or overwhelmed with other tasks. The point is that there isn't really just one perfect time to write, it will be beneficial anytime you can fit it into your schedule.

Image courtesy of 750 Words

It's helpful that the 750 Words website keeps track of your streaks and awards little cartoon badges to keep you motivated. I've currently earned a pegasus badge for pushing my streak past the one year milestone. The badges may be a little silly, but they've created a culture that celebrates consistency and that's probably the most important thing when it comes to writing.

So how long will my writing streak last? I'm not sure. I've thought of pulling it back to just write on weekdays or giving myself permission for scheduled holiday breaks. Writing 750 words without any editing or structure usually only takes me 10-15 minutes. So it's still certainly doable to sneak away for that time on a holiday or vacation. The streak feels important to maintain but it's really just a number.

750 words have offered up some clever hacks that will allow you to skip a day and then write 1500 words the next day to keep the streak intact. I like that concept but it also sorta feels like cheating depending on what your motivation is. If you're just trying to hit an arbitrary output of words, it doesn't matter much if it's 750 words in one day or 1500 words after a 24-hour break. But if you're just looking to flex the writing muscle, it seems more valuable to hit your daily quota like any successful writer would recommend.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

The simplicity of the 750 Words blank page is nice, but sometimes I feel like my writing could be more valuable with structure or journaling prompts. Plenty of other apps will provide that and I may start to dabble in the new year. Although, I'd say that its the simplicity of the platform that has kept me going. Often just writing nonsense helps to open up my brain to release more substantial words. These words may have never been unlocked if I were to adhere strictly to a prompt or template.

I don't mind paying the annual subscription fee for 750 Words either. As I said, there are plenty of no-cost options out there for people to develop a writing habit. In my opinion, a modest annual fee helps keep me engaged with the product.

Many of the posts that find their final form on this publication begin their life as a fuzzy kernel of a thought in a daily 750 words page. It's a chance for me to test out writing topics, rants, and reviews. Plenty of ideas never see the light of day and that's just fine. It's the act of putting words on the page that clears my mind for whatever else lies ahead in the day.

Thanks again for reading and maybe now is the time for you to start building some solid habits to get ahead of the new year. Feel free to reach out at the links below if there is any way I can help you out.

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Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!

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