During the summer of 2020, I published a blog post every day for 100 consecutive days. That original challenge was something a colleague put together and that same colleague is at it again.
Beginning on December 1, 2021, I plan to publish a blog post for 100 consecutive days, which will put me publishing my 100th consecutive blog post on March 11, 2022 (if I’m doing the math right).
Writing for 100 Days Takes Planning
I’ve been mulling the strategy I’ll bring to bear on this project. Writing 100 days in a row isn’t difficult, but it does take planning, creativity, and flexibility. I need a plan. It doesn’t have to be a detailed plan, but I need a general sense for how I will approach this 100 day stretch.
So far, I’ve considered a few different possibilities:
- Brainstorm and power through: I could spend some time writing down everything I can think of to write about, jotting down subjects or draft titles, and then pick one each day to write something about.
- Follow the traffic: Most of the traffic to this website hits just four blog posts: a review of Can’t Hurt Me by David Goggins, an overview of one attempt to launch a deep work ritual, a two-part blog series about a king-size solid wood platform bed I made, and a post explaining how I located a local point of interest called Roman’s Den. I have a feeling I know why each of those blog posts gets search engine traffic. I could spend some time mulling other similar keywords that I might target and write to try and attract an audience.
- Write about running: I’ve done a lot of this in the past. Running is the easiest thing for me to write about because I think about it a lot and do a lot of running. It’s an easy fallback option because I can always write a few words about running.
- Find a new voice: What if I tried new styles of writing such as satire or comedy? What if I tried to develop a professional angle on this blog by writing more about my work? What other angles have I not explored as a writer on this blog that I might try out?
- Build a new habit: I’m a big believer in finding a routine that works and sticking to it. How might I apply that idea to this project? I never really found a great routine for my writing during the last 100 day blogging challenge, and as a result my writing basically stopped as soon as the challenge ended. Maybe this time around I should emphasize finding a good fit for my writing in my daily routine.
- Keep it simple: Roger, the colleague putting this challenge together, has emphasized the importance of keeping the process simple – suggesting posting a single image or just a sentence or two each day. Maybe Roger is onto something. Perhaps a very simple post each day is the way to go, supplemented by longer posts here and there when inspiration strikes and as time allows.
Ultimately, I think my approach to this challenge will pull from all of these ideas.
Build a Habit
I know I want to find a better routine than I did last time around. I think dedicating the first 15 minutes of each day to publishing a single photo or a few sentences will serve as a foundation for this project. Just tick the damn box.
Keep it Simple
When it comes to that short daily post, I think the goal will be to either pluck the idea that’s at the top of my mind or to write just two or three sentences about one thing I’m grateful for.
Brainstorm New Ideas for Longer Pieces
Occasionally, I want to publish a longer piece that explores a different voice I’ve not fully developed or that targets keywords that I think will attract organic search traffic to this website.
It’s Ok to Use My Fallback
If all else fails, write about running.
Featured photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash
I am excited to see what we all come up with this time!