Today is day 17 of The MAP Year Project and it's already helped me realize something I hadn't expected.
I set out to write this daily series as a way to get better at the craft of writing itself. To level-up. Turn "pro" as Steven Pressfield would say. But more specifically, I was looking to improve my storytelling—both in my short and long-form work. While I'm an essayist at heart, storytelling structure spans all styles. So even more to the point, the hope is to beef up my communication overall. Then I'll be able to confidently connect with people and break out of my isolationist funk.
I'd anticipated my writing would change, but I hadn't expected its packaging to shift as much as it already has.
We're halfway through month one (out of twelve) and I've made a few major changes to my work. I feel great about most of them. But there's one aspect I'm pretty nervous about. First, some quick context...
This daily writing practice helped me distill my message, channel, and distribution. Let me explain.
For years, I felt I'd been forcing a fit where there isn't one. I constantly was trying to do all three of these things but in the wrong setting. Like an instagram caption. Then, in an email newsletter where I shared a collection of observations, linked resources, and personal commentary so readers could choose their own adventure. Like a self-help buffet—plenty of options but no fixed menu.
Writing these BUDS emails—including MAP Year prompts—helped me understand the throughline of my message, the best format for communicating it, and where it makes the most sense to share it.
I recently decided to dial back my publishing schedule for my long-form essays. But now, the thing I'm most nervous about is backsliding on clarity. Since reducing my publishing frequency, I've felt like I've lost a step with my writing. It's probably in my head. But I wasn't someone who struggled with the "blank page." Like Steven Pressfield describes in Turning Pro, I write because it's time to write, not because motivation says so. But, now that I have more breathing room, the blank page has been challenging me a bit.
So I'm adjusting.
The solution I came up with looks like writing as if I'm going to publish on my old schedule—to keep my reps up. But instead of hitting publish, I'll be using the extra time to refine and sculpt. My partner, Isobel, graciously helped me work through that plan.
Thanks for being here while this unfolds.
Onward we go, shall we?
When you adjust your actions, you must also adjust your experience of their corresponding reactions. Bail too early and you miss out on the benefits of your effort.
What's something you gave up on that's worth another try? How might you cope with the discomfort of the change until you find your footing?
onward.
-dmac