I have thought a lot about this question:
Why do you write a daily email?
Not because anyone has asked me–few care–but because it intrigues me. And if I can succinctly answer it, I will be able to persevere when I want to quit.
So, the answer?
To become a better writer.
That wasn’t always my answer.
When I first started, I might have answered that I wanted to build an audience or community. Or maybe I wanted to create a product I could sell eventually.
Either way, I have found the real reason over the past year of shipping daily (excluding weekends). That is to improve my writing ability.
Like a basketball player who wants to improve his free throw percentage, I wanted to improve my writing ability. And not just write well, but write on command–get rid of my dependence on the Muse.
I may build an audience. I may release a product a few of you buy. But more important to me is getting my reps in and improving my writing.
So, this is all a selfish pursuit? Eh… Maybe.
I also judge my writing by educating, entertaining, and retaining. So it’s not only about me; that’s what my journal is for.
But I’ve come to realize a universal truth:
To become a prolific writer, you must write a lot.
And for me, I don’t want to write in secret. I want to write and learn in public–with you–so we both can benefit and I can gain real-world feedback.
I’ve also come to realize another truth:
The best marketers can write and think well.
I see my daily writing practice as insurmountable in helping me write and think better.
So, if you want to improve your marketing, write. It’s as simple as that.
Write and learn in public, pivot when you’re wrong, and never quit the pursuit for greater wisdom.
That’s what I plan to do in 2022.
What are you doing in 2022 to improve yourself and your career?
🧠 + ❤️ // JO