#133 How to Get Irrefutable Proof of Progress

ByLukas
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“Getting better” at something is not a linear process.

You can practice every day and not see any progress.

In fact, you can practice every day and notice deterioration.

But it’s impossible to practice every day without building the self-trust that you have the discipline to practice every day.

I might not have clear proof that I’m becoming a better writer, but I have irrefutable proof that I wrote today, yesterday, and the past 138 days.

And because I write every day, the evidence is building that I am, in fact, a writer.

As my actions shift my identity, the probability that I’ll keep writing increases.

And as long as I keep writing, the probability of writing better work increases.

Tiny Trust Builders are the only reliable proof of progress.

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    #220 A reminder to decide

    ByLukas

    I could decide that writing less than 1000 words a day would be a failure – and I would be correct.

    I could decide that writing more than 50 words a day would be a failure – and I would be correct.

    I could decide that not writing today would be failure – and I would be correct.

    After all, for many things in life, you get to decide yourself what’s failure and what’s success.

    In fact, my friend, just like me you may have already decided for yourself what’s failure and what’s success.

    And just like me, you may need a reminder of that decision once in a while, so you can verify if it still serves you.

    This is that reminder.

    Which serves me well, because my decision was that writing you this short daily letter is exactly right.

    See you tomorrow.

  • #370 Skipping the writing is not an option

    ByLukas

    Once you’ve been writing daily for long enough, continuing to write is the easier option, more aligned with your habits and identity.

    Just like for most people, it feels more natural to continue brushing their teeth every day than to skip a day.

    But when you’re still building the writing habit, skipping the writing is the easier option.

    Which means it shouldn’t be an option at all — until it has become an option you’re not interested in anymore.

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    #26 Becoming less blind to what’s already here

    ByLukas

    I write about the same topics over and over again, with slightly different words.

    I listen to people explaining the same topics over and over again, with a slightly different interpretation.

    I practice the same breathing exercises every day, becoming aware of changes so subtle it’s hard to believe they make any difference.

    While all that energy spent on what seems like “repeating” and “reviewing” might seem like a waste of time, the constant revisiting of things we already know is how I grow.

    Because with every repetition I’m discovering a new part of the same insight.

    A new nuance that in itself might seem insignificant, but added to my personal experience, insights, understanding, might make all the difference.

    And with every new insight, I become a little less blind to what’s already here.

    In the process, I have to accept that the perfect words might never come.

    The perfect explanation might never come.

    The perfect execution of a skill might never happen.

    But if I stay the course, my understanding of what matters to me in life will always keep growing.

    At some point, through all the practicing, learning, reading, writing, I might stumble upon a groundbreaking insight.

    Or maybe it never happens.

    It doesn’t matter. I feel fulfilled regardless… As long as I keep sculpting away, day by day.

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    #23 For all the languages I’ve learned

    ByLukas

    For all the languages I’ve learned
    trying in vain to put the inner and outer world into words
    closely but not completely capturing the essence
    I now realize the biggest insights reveal themselves
    where words are worthless and feelings reign
    where they are felt and lived, embodied,
    refusing to be rationalized, categorized
    or undergo the violent limitations of our words.

    Maybe language learning is more about admitting that some languages are lived, not learned.

    That some insights are felt, not expressed.

    That sometimes words create distance from what we experience deep down, instead of offering the clarity we seek.

    Accepting that may well be the biggest challenge of all.

    There is a voice that doesn’t use words. Listen.

    Rumi

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