Here’s my biggest lesson from 2021.
#1: Shorter doesn’t mean less than
In 2020, I started writing daily.
Being the first time I was experimenting with the identity of “writer,” I felt an overbearing need to prove myself.
So, I tried to make up for a lack of experience with a length in writing—and my pieces were loooooong. Much longer than they needed to be and much longer than any audience would want to read daily.
In 2021, with my transition to Twitter, I learned how to be concise.
I learned how to take out fluff, be more direct, be more authentic, be more confident, and how to pack a punch with words.
I learned how shorter reduced the barriers for readers and actually opened more doors rather than closed them.
And it’s through this lesson that this very blog was birthed. With a cap of 280 words, punchy has become my focus.
#2: Inner Travel > Outer Travel
Without even realizing it, most people use outer travel as a means to force inner travel.
But, when you learn how to conduct inner travel on a regular basis, you are no longer limited to expensive flights, convenient timing, and dog-sitter availability.
Traveling, suddenly, becomes free, accessible, and easily timed.
Because ultimately, what we’re after isn’t big mountains, but an experience of awe; not deep oceans, but an experience of vastness; not sunny and seventy beaches, but relaxation; not exotic destinations, but rich experiences.
It’s feelings that we’re after—not places.
And with access to the internet, books, communities, and distraction-free spaces—we can learn how to bring forth those feelings on our own—no forcing required.