#699. Two years of writing. Visualize your dream.

I wrote my first story here on Medium a little over two years ago. It was about my marathon. I was proud of my running, but the main focus was on how consistency helped me become an excellent runner. I wanted to repeat this experience — become consistent at something else. I started writing here on Medium. This story is #699.

Have I become excellent at writing?

Of course not. The goal was to be consistent. Good things come if you repeat something every day for 365 days. Run, code, write, do push-ups.

Did good things come?

I think so. There were situations when I used to be shy about about blogging. If you’re interviewing for a job, you don’t want your potential employer to read your stories, especially the more intimate ones. With time, though, I stopped worrying about these things. Writing is part of my identity (as is running!). I try to be honest in my writing; I don’t sanitize my life stories or opinions. It’s a paradox: being prepared to be vulnerable makes you more thick-skinned.

I benefited from my writing in unexpected ways, not just financially. The financial gain hasn’t been big anyway, although I did have several very solid months where the money was meaningful and helped me pay my bills. My writing is rarely on business, but it helped me get consulting projects and establish valuable professional connections.

If you communicate with strangers consistently, sooner or later, you’ll stop…