#186: What I Have Learned From Failing 179 Times In 2021.

Failing isn’t really the hard part. Drawing the right lessons is.

On 1 January 2021, I put myself on the line by claiming that I would write 365 stories in 365 days. This would be an experiment and I was ready for it.

This is now story #186 of the year, which is about to end. Not a bad result in absolute terms. Relatively speaking, 51% is literally a disaster. However, I will spare you the details of what exactly went wrong, why and when. Instead, I would like to share what I have learned from this experiment and the resulting experience.

I managed to turn this experiment into an experience, one that challenged me physically, emotionally and mentally. I didn’t just play it through in my head. There are real memories attached to it and stories to be told about.

Not only can it be done. More importantly, I can do it. I have delivered the proof-of-concept to myself.

I am not a robot. Luckily so.

Managing my energy balance is key. While the saying «where your attention goes, energy flows» definitely holds true, focus no longer helps once you have run out of energy. «Eat. Sleep. Physics. Repeat.» has therefore become my new mantra.

Accountability is key. I will continue shouting out what is important to me and why.

Small hurdles and soft breezes weren’t sufficient to stop me. Drowning two laptops simultaneously wasn’t bad enough either.

Some stories resonated with readers, others didn’t. Any response or lack thereof didn’t influence my decision to keep writing, though, and it won’t going forward.

Never stop. Restarting from scratch after an extensive break was so extremely hard. Aiming for «good enough» continues to be my golden formula.

Luckily, there were days when I felt really happy with my writing. On all other posting days, the fact that I did write was reason enough to make me proud.

So here I am with my right arm in a sling following a shoulder surgery. I don’t feel my best right now. On the other hand, I have something to build up on.

I know I can do better than that. My writing experience has offered me a glimpse into my best self.

2022 will be the best year I can possibly imagine.