When I started this blog, I thought I would commit to posting three times a week. It seemed reasonable and would accommodate my work schedule. I did not want to commit to a daily post, as I did not want to disappoint myself if something came up for work, and I needed to devote the time otherwise. But three times a week, like a typical workout schedule, or my average frequency for yoga classes, seemed do-able for establishing a new habit.
In my day-to-day work, I am in a fairly intense, meeting-driven, corporate multi-national environment. I lead a team of clinical researchers in Latin America. We are very spread out geographically, and I travel a fair amount as well. So the idea of devoting some time each day to writing, but only posting three times a week seemed reasonable. Some days I planned to write, other days I planned to edit. I usually write in the morning, when my mind is fresh and clear, but sometimes I have a hankering late afternoon to spill my thoughts onto the page. Writing for me is a way to express myself, clear the clutter from my brain, and really delve into my psyche in a way that no other creative medium can satisfy.
October came along, and for the first few days, I felt there was so much I wanted to say, and so many topics I wanted to explore. So I decided that a daily post would be fine, and that it could be a one-month commitment to myself, just to see how the pacing felt. I realized I have a wellspring of ideas that have been brewing within me for the past 6 months or so since I decided to write more publicly. At this moment, I have a brainstorm list of 10 different topics pending for blog posts…
I write a daily journal and I used to post on newsgroups quite regularly on political topics back in the day when I was more involved politically (before my current corporate gig required me to be “all in” and I got involved with building myself a grown-up career). In the age of Twitter and Facebook, I have doubts about how social media engages people or disengages them. I have also had to limit consumption of media, even my favorite news stations like MPR, because I cannot always process the all the “incoming” especially in the current political climate. But that does not change my need to connect with others, through shared ideas and stories of discovery, personal learning and spiritual growth.
I am trying to pace myself, knowing that I have a few busy work weeks coming up, with presentations to give, and a Science and Technology conference to attend. Now I have an internal commitment to posting daily in October. So I will approach this writing “side hustle” as a bite-sized daily practice, maybe breaking down the longer posts into shorter ones (which I’ve noticed seem to be read more often), and give myself more time to edit an overall piece. I am happy to note that I do not suffer from any writer’s block as part of this blog, which surprised me at first. The words just flow out, and I am often sad when I must stop writing, and get on with my “other” life. I actually have to set time limits for myself so I do not spend whole days writing, and I can attend to my paid work.
Someday maybe I can parlay this new writing practice into my next career move, but for now, thanks for reading and I truly appreciate your feedback on my thoughts.
mexi minnesotana 
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