There was a time when I would write every day, about things that were important to me or that I just wanted to share. I think I’ve taken a bit of a break with that! But it’s been on my mind a lot that I ‘should’ get back into it, because I want to.
I was looking for some inspiration on daily writing, and on page 1 of my Google search, I found something I had written back in 2012:
https://plus.google.com/106294391497435059070/posts/dZ2EBiD1cnZ
(I really like how WordPress can embed content now, whether it’s Google Plus, Facebook or Instagram. Very cool!)
Back then I was writing for my blog Think Wisely (now gone), and I had just started writing daily posts to email subscribers. It was a good incentive to keep up the daily writing, knowing that there were people signed up just to get their daily dose of thoughts about wisdom. It lasted about 4 months though, before I ran out of steam.
Four months was a long time, but really, not long enough.
It takes 30 days to form a habit, but sometimes you can lose your way after forming the habit, and you go back to the old habits. In my case, the old habit was to write when I felt like it, and when I had something to write about. But that can get boring. If you’re writing every day, you’re training yourself to write better, and you’re making things more interesting for the readers. Assuming, of course, that your writing will be interesting…
I’ve had a pretty chaotic few months. I’ve had to return to Canberra for work, but live out of a suitcase for just over two months, travelling around to different Airbnb.com.au accommodation. A week here, a couple weeks there… It’s been pretty frustrating. All this while working fulltime and still trying to find work in Melbourne (unsuccessfully).
This week I started a new contract (still in Canberra) with another government organisation. It’s for the next 9 months, and was more of a strategic role – something I was really excited about. I decided to leave the contract I was in, even though I was enjoying it. But it was only for another 2 months and that was going to be it, so taking the 9 month role will give me a much better result.
But all this full time work and arranging new work and places to live meant that I was mostly just exhausted at the end of the days. I didn’t want to write. It just wasn’t in me.
Two weeks ago, as a result of securing this longer term contract, I also secured a fully furnished apartment with a lease for the same duration as my work contract. And it’s literally just across the road from work, so it only takes me a minute to walk to work after walking out the front door…
Paying rent on two apartments isn’t a good idea, even though this apartment in Canberra is a tax deductible expense because I have a primary residence in Melbourne. Still quite expensive. So after lots of deliberation, we’re ending the tenancy agreement on the Melbourne apartment, putting everything into storage, and Fanfan is coming up here to join me until I can find work in Melbourne and we can go back there. I don’t know how long that’ll be, but the furniture is staying there until that happens.
So I’m sitting here in my Canberra apartment on a Friday evening, writing. I’ve been in my new job for this week and I think it’s going well so far. Things feel like they’re settling down again – at least for a while – and I feel like I can get back into a focused writing habit.
So this is the first post of my new daily writing habit. It would encourage me to keep going if you have any thoughts, opinions, feedback or even complaints that you could leave for me! I do love the discussions that I have on here.
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