I ask my students to write for five minutes each day. Sometimes there is a prompt, sometimes there isn’t, but no matter what, each day, they write. I believe it’s a good practice, to put your words on paper or on the screen each day (the debate about handwritten vs typed composition will have to wait for another day). However, as much as I’ve tried, I have never kept up with a regular blog or journal every day. I’m hoping this will be the year I change this.

So this is my first post and I suppose I should lay out some of the “rules” of my 2018 challenge:

1. Write at least five minutes a day.
2. Don’t worry about perfection: just write and share.
3. That’s all.

The writing won’t be perfect – that’s not the goal. The point is to do it. Every day. That doesn’t sound like a big deal, probably, but it totally is. I am not good at follow-through. Once, my family and I were going to fill out a small card each day of November that listed one thing we were thankful for that day. I think we made it to November 5 or 6, maybe. I come up with big plans all the time: I’m going to write a book! I’m going to have my own art business! I’m going to join a gym and get in shape! I’m going to meditate every day! Guess what? None of those things have really come to fruition (except the art thing – that sort of did).

I don’t feel especially guilty about that. I am usually too excited about my new plans to worry about the old ones falling to the wayside, or I’m just too overwhelmed by life and grading and teaching and being a mom to do the other things I’m excited to do. So I don’t think I’d feel especially guilty I didn’t follow through on this either. To be honest, as I’m writing this, I’m thinking, if I make it through the week, it’ll be a pretty big success.

But I want to. I want to see if I can do this one thing each day for one year. Wish me luck!