I started tracking my writing last year, at first writing it on paper. As the year went on, I found the process of setting up my journals and tracking it tedious; after a while, I realized I was making a paper spreadsheet.
I decided to shift to collecting data as I went. There’s a TON of software out there for doing this for writers, but every time I found one, I started getting lost in what I wanted to tweak.
I decided to make something custom – which took me down a rabbit hole of almost starting to write software, and then considering hiring a software engineer.
Bearing in mind that I’m unemployed, and that the software would just be for me, I laughed at myself, then said, “What am I trying to accomplish?” I made a simple google form custom for me, then started to collect data in a google spreadsheet.
After a month of data, I started to see patterns. And also realized I needed visualizations. So, I set-up some visualizations in Google Looker.
The images you see here are version 6 of this writing tracking system. I beat myself up some days, for not going fast enough, for not changing quickly enough, for not doing enough. I’ve learned, and get better at every day, taking a breath, being patient, and essentially doing some gentle self-parenting.
These graphs are helping me. They help me understand how I’m doing every day, and if I’m hitting my goals. As I start looking for a job, having some structure around my writing is important.
But also? My old writing mentor is sitting with me as I do this. There’s no right way to write, I think. We’ve all got our processes. And my mentor, he had his way, but part of his way spoke to me. Treat it like a job. But not a job you hate. The best job in the world. The one you love to do. The one you would do for free, except, strive not to do that because like all professions, it should help you pay your way.
That’s what this graph represents to me. I didn’t quite realize it, but product management is something I do without even thinking some times. And when I do it, I do it as art – and the art of it for me is giving myself the charts and tools to help me visualize my progress. And set my goals.
This is always going to be a work in progress. And it’s quirky. But it’s also the power of the idea of ‘1% every day.’ Because, this beautiful guide didn’t happen all at once. It happened with a series of slow changes, not the least of which was building the habit to fill out a google form whenever I do a writing session.
For the first time in a long time, maybe ever, I feel present as my full self every day. And these goofy little free graphics from google, put together with their ‘free’ tools, represent that. I’m letting all of myself come to the table to help myself.
And it feels amazing.