I Completed the 30-Day Writing Challenge!
Here are my takeaways from the challenge
Why Did I Undertake It?
I‘ve considered myself a content creator for some time now, but recently, I found myself facing creative blocks, regardless of the content format. I feared losing my creative drive. Therefore, I embarked on this challenge with the hope that it would rekindle my creative spirit.
Another motivation was the timing. I commenced this 30-day writing challenge at the start of November. In Finland, November is known as “Marraskuu,” with “Marras” meaning “death.” November tends to be a gloomy time of year, characterized by slush, darkness, and coldness that can lead to feelings of depression, which I aimed to counteract. I believed that this challenge would be a constructive way to endure the hardships of this challenging month. A better suffer😄
What Did I Write About?
As a product manager, my initial aim was to focus on articles related to product management. However, I soon realized that it was quite challenging to stick to this topic exclusively. To diversify my content, I decided to include articles about some thoughts about life, my interests in triathlon and running. There were days when time was limited, and I struggled to come up with quality content. On those days, I found myself writing what I playfully called “bullshits” just to meet the challenge.
There’s one noteworthy article that I wrote in Chinese, my mother tongue, which I personally enjoyed, though I wasn’t sure how many others would read it.
To my surprise, the second-to-last day proved to be the most challenging. I had run out of topics, not because I had nothing left to write, but because I was eagerly anticipating the final day. I had a plan to write a summary on the last day, which left me with writer’s block. In the end, I may have cheated a bit on the 29th day! 😄
Here’s a categorised list of all my articles, organised by the date of the month (with my personal ratings for each article out of five⭐️).
About Product Management
1. My Five Product Managers’ Obsessions ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2. When INFJ Takes on the Role of a Product Manager ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Some funny thoughts about MBTI tests)
4. Recap of Marty’s Recent Discussion on Product Operating Models ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
6. Taoist Philosophy in Product Management ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (When Chinese philosophy meets western product management)
8. A Real-Life Example of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
9. Schrödinger’s Cat in Decision-Making: Harnessing the Power of Knowns and Unknowns ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I quite liked the metaphor I used in this article, inspired by Marty’s previous talk)
10. 5 Lessons I Learnt as an App Product Manager ⭐️⭐️⭐️
15. A Missing Treasure for PMs ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I haven’t come across anyone else discussing product learning from this perspective yet)
19. 5 Key Lessons from Elevating Our App’s Rating from 2.1 to 4.8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
22. It’s All about Conversations ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
23. When PM Faces M&A ⭐️⭐️⭐️
25. Two Ultimate Mindsets for Building SaaS Products ⭐️⭐️⭐️
26. Avoid Trojan-Horse Words for Customer Problems ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I liked this metaphor, too. Inspired by my mentor, and I utilised it in my real job)
About Life:
5. Avoiding Path Dependence in Your Learning Journey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
11. Why You Struggle to Focus on What Matters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
13. Slow is Fast ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
14. Marathon Training: A Metaphor for Life’s Journey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
17. 7 Principles Make My Life Easier⭐️⭐️⭐️
20. The Sunset in Winter⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (My first English essay about life, I quite like it myself)
28. 三十一而不立⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (If you can grasp what I’m trying to convey here, you must have a good understanding of Chinese culture.)
About Running and Triathlon:
3. VO2MAX: the Runner’s Vanity Metric (It’s also about product management) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
7. All-in-one Gear Reviews and Annual Expenses for Triathlon Training ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Maybe the most “expensive” article behind the scene😂)
12. 5 Telltale Signs That You’re a Serious Runner ⭐️⭐️⭐️
About Business:
21. Why QR-Code (QRC) Payment is not a Thing in the West Compared to China? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I’ve been preparing this article for a while)
24. The Evolution of Douyin (Chinese TikTok) for Content Creators ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (I could have delved deeper with more research and data, but time constraints forced me to finish it quickly. That’s why I’m giving it only 3 stars; I believe there’s room for another article on this topic.)
Some ‘bullshits’ on easy days:
16. Halfway through November (A short poem) ⭐️⭐️
18. Subtle Changes, Profound Impacts (funny jokes) ⭐️⭐️⭐️
27. Finnish Learning in a Nutshell (kinda serious as well) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
29. A Good Day. (without a doubt, this is a cheat day)⭐️
Top 3 Challenges
These challenges added to the satisfaction of my challenge!
1 Limited Time
In addition to my work, I also have triathlon training almost every day. However, it’s all about commitment. Some days were extremely tough, like company party day, home party day, and other events. I had to either prepare content in advance or keep it very simple on those days.
2 Running Out of Ideas
This happens from time to time. Some days, ideas flow effortlessly, and you’re in the zone when writing. But on other days, your mind goes blank.
3 Pressure and Frustration
I often worry about whether I’ll be able to finish the challenge or if I’ll give up. This pressure weighs heavily on me, and it’s one of the biggest sources of daily stress. However, there’s a silver lining to this pressure — it helps me forget about the gloomy November.
Frustration is partly due to the pressure and partly due to wondering if anyone will read what I write. However, I’ve come to realize that this challenge is about writing for myself, not about gaining readers. So, I should focus more on my personal journey rather than worrying about others’ reactions.
What Did I Learn?
Here are my five takeaways for anyone who wants to take on the same challenge:
1 Start Simple and Easy
Beginnings are always tough. So, don’t set high expectations for your articles, and keep them simple and easy for the first three days, even the first week.
2 Inputs Bring Output
Some of my articles were inspired by books, talks, and other articles. Input from various sources can lead to valuable output.
3 One Sentence Counts!
Sometimes, you have to be flexible and allow yourself to cheat a bit, especially when you have work and training to manage simultaneously.
4 Use Numbers in Titles
Using numbers in your article titles can make structuring your content easier. Titles like “5 Tips,” “3 Behaviors,” or “7 Habits” are effective. It’s said odd numbers can attract more attention from readers.
5 Commitment is Key
Anyone can do it if they believe in themselves! If you commit to the challenge, you’ll find a way to make it work, even if it means sacrificing other activities to finish your articles.
At last, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the beloved and loyal reader. She read all of my articles and supported me throughout the 30-day challenge, providing me with the encouragement and motivation I needed to complete it. Kiitos🫶🏼
