Back to Posts
Self Improvement
Inspiration
Leadership
Success
My 52 Week Writing Journey
"The end of a journey means the start of another one." - The Book of Felicity.
I once learned that you would know when you complete a journey because you will be back to where you first started. Having brought the curtains down on my 52-week adventure, this is how I feel. I am like Santiago in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. After having a recurring dream about treasure while sleeping in the ruins of a church, he embarked on a life-changing journey to find the treasure, only to discover that it lay under the very ruins where he slept.
And like every journey you complete, there is a deep sense of accomplishment. But the actual lessons were those I found along the path to the destination. So I now invite you on this adventure as I recap my experience. I hope that you, too, will find inspiration to embark on your hero’s journey.
I once learned that you would know when you complete a journey because you will be back to where you first started. Having brought the curtains down on my 52-week adventure, this is how I feel. I am like Santiago in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. After having a recurring dream about treasure while sleeping in the ruins of a church, he embarked on a life-changing journey to find the treasure, only to discover that it lay under the very ruins where he slept.
And like every journey you complete, there is a deep sense of accomplishment. But the actual lessons were those I found along the path to the destination. So I now invite you on this adventure as I recap my experience. I hope that you, too, will find inspiration to embark on your hero’s journey.
Why did I start?
I started this journey to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and embark on their hero’s journey. To do so, I had to organize my thoughts before I could adequately articulate them. And then, my friend and business partner Maxie Wright gave me the idea to start a blog. So I started working on the initial ideas for the blog while he began working on the technical aspects of the site. Finally, we established a launch date and worked feverishly towards it.
We generally worked remotely and would meet up occasionally to work together and share ideas. However, several technical issues were outstanding as the date quickly approached. I decided that we would stick to the launch date. Unfortunately, despite all the preparations, we did not complete the website in time for the launch. But that was not going to stop us. We dived into the deep end before learning to swim by launching the blog before the website was ready. We had answered the call of the hero’s journey.
Challenges
There is no hero’s journey without challenges. The very nature of a hero is about overcoming obstacles on the path to success. My journey was no different. Someone asked me not to send them the posts, while others outrightly blocked my messages. These experiences were undoubtedly lessons in rejection. But the natural obstacles were not external but rather internal. Beginners' luck does not last long, and enthusiasm quickly fades. Encouragement is good, but by itself, it does not get you moving.
The most challenging aspects were sitting to write and battling the relentless urge to be distracted by things in my environment. It was discipline, remembering why I was doing it, and my commitment to my decision that kept me going. Despite all of these, I still faltered many times. Life found ways to intrude, and unfortunately, I was unable to submit an article every week. I became the traveler blown off course many times on a journey. Nevertheless, I continued to move toward my destination even if I had to adjust my approach.
I started this journey to inspire others to step out of their comfort zone and embark on their hero’s journey. To do so, I had to organize my thoughts before I could adequately articulate them. And then, my friend and business partner Maxie Wright gave me the idea to start a blog. So I started working on the initial ideas for the blog while he began working on the technical aspects of the site. Finally, we established a launch date and worked feverishly towards it.
We generally worked remotely and would meet up occasionally to work together and share ideas. However, several technical issues were outstanding as the date quickly approached. I decided that we would stick to the launch date. Unfortunately, despite all the preparations, we did not complete the website in time for the launch. But that was not going to stop us. We dived into the deep end before learning to swim by launching the blog before the website was ready. We had answered the call of the hero’s journey.
Challenges
There is no hero’s journey without challenges. The very nature of a hero is about overcoming obstacles on the path to success. My journey was no different. Someone asked me not to send them the posts, while others outrightly blocked my messages. These experiences were undoubtedly lessons in rejection. But the natural obstacles were not external but rather internal. Beginners' luck does not last long, and enthusiasm quickly fades. Encouragement is good, but by itself, it does not get you moving.
The most challenging aspects were sitting to write and battling the relentless urge to be distracted by things in my environment. It was discipline, remembering why I was doing it, and my commitment to my decision that kept me going. Despite all of these, I still faltered many times. Life found ways to intrude, and unfortunately, I was unable to submit an article every week. I became the traveler blown off course many times on a journey. Nevertheless, I continued to move toward my destination even if I had to adjust my approach.
Personal Impact
Before now, I had never written so extensively. I settled on writing one blog post every week for forty months. But where would I get a topic to write about every week? Not to mention that I still had all my other responsibilities, including personal, family, and career. Those responsibilities did not daunt me as my enthusiasm pushed me forward. I learned that I could undertake significant projects with confidence and boldness.
Discipline became an intimate partner as I had no obligation to carry through with this decision. Eventually, I decided to write one post every week for one year. Such commitment was a first for me. I did not know how to get there, but I trusted that I would complete this journey even if I could not see the next step. I had faith in my untested ability. It was an important lesson I learned that self-belief and discipline could transform any situation.
Before now, I had never written so extensively. I settled on writing one blog post every week for forty months. But where would I get a topic to write about every week? Not to mention that I still had all my other responsibilities, including personal, family, and career. Those responsibilities did not daunt me as my enthusiasm pushed me forward. I learned that I could undertake significant projects with confidence and boldness.
Discipline became an intimate partner as I had no obligation to carry through with this decision. Eventually, I decided to write one post every week for one year. Such commitment was a first for me. I did not know how to get there, but I trusted that I would complete this journey even if I could not see the next step. I had faith in my untested ability. It was an important lesson I learned that self-belief and discipline could transform any situation.
Impacting others
My first few blog posts had mixed reviews. I was not a seasoned writer, but I knew that I had to write to become one. I believed that I had ideas to share that would add value to others, and this was all that mattered to me. So I created a distribution list on Whatsapp of one hundred persons with whom I would share the blog posts. I would also post them in various Whatsapp group chats. I was often hesitant to post my writings for fear of criticism. But no one can progress in an endeavor unless they are willing to be critiqued and sometimes ridiculed.
As time progressed, the reviews began to pour in. I had random people in group chats messaging and telling me how much the posts helped them. There were persons from as far as India messaging to say how timely a message was. A friend in Sudan told me that I inspired her to become an entrepreneur, and the business quickly became profitable. My friends and family members were quite supportive. They, too, would post the blog to their networks or put extractions from the post on their status. I was inspired to keep going when I saw the impact my writing was having on the lives of others.
My first few blog posts had mixed reviews. I was not a seasoned writer, but I knew that I had to write to become one. I believed that I had ideas to share that would add value to others, and this was all that mattered to me. So I created a distribution list on Whatsapp of one hundred persons with whom I would share the blog posts. I would also post them in various Whatsapp group chats. I was often hesitant to post my writings for fear of criticism. But no one can progress in an endeavor unless they are willing to be critiqued and sometimes ridiculed.
As time progressed, the reviews began to pour in. I had random people in group chats messaging and telling me how much the posts helped them. There were persons from as far as India messaging to say how timely a message was. A friend in Sudan told me that I inspired her to become an entrepreneur, and the business quickly became profitable. My friends and family members were quite supportive. They, too, would post the blog to their networks or put extractions from the post on their status. I was inspired to keep going when I saw the impact my writing was having on the lives of others.
New beginnings
Interestingly, endings are similar to beginnings. Maybe it is because a perceived end is a
beginning but from a different perspective. As I write this post, I reflect on this journey and who I have become. I am a writer on a quest to assist others along their hero's journey toward a destination called purpose. In this regard, I am genuinely grateful for the support, encouragement, and wise critique. And as the curtains come down on this experience, I can boldly say that this is not the end but a new beginning. Many opportunities for personal growth have since opened after I decided to start writing. Rumi, the Persian poet, once said, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” Rumi's words have undoubtedly become my reality. And now, I hope that my experience will inspire you to answer the call of your hero’s journey.
Interestingly, endings are similar to beginnings. Maybe it is because a perceived end is a
beginning but from a different perspective. As I write this post, I reflect on this journey and who I have become. I am a writer on a quest to assist others along their hero's journey toward a destination called purpose. In this regard, I am genuinely grateful for the support, encouragement, and wise critique. And as the curtains come down on this experience, I can boldly say that this is not the end but a new beginning. Many opportunities for personal growth have since opened after I decided to start writing. Rumi, the Persian poet, once said, “As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.” Rumi's words have undoubtedly become my reality. And now, I hope that my experience will inspire you to answer the call of your hero’s journey.