Reading pen farming | writing, ushering in a new identity, thank you Matters

Apr 1, 2022

There are hot pens and cold pens...Thank you Matters, a place where I can write with peace of mind and give birth to everything I own and cherish.

This article is an extension of this draft , and I would like to share with you my one-and-a-half-year writing process and the changes I have experienced.

The first half is a hot pen written in a moment of enthusiasm, leaving words when the energy is the strongest, and it is also cast as a commemoration of ISCN ; the second half is a cold pen after the excitement, carefully reviewing the review, and hoping to keep improving.

■ Hot pen: writing, ushering in a new identity

Since publishing my first article on Matters in August 2020, I have gradually developed the habit of writing. As time goes by, there is an idea shouting in my heart, which is also often discussed by everyone on the platform, whether it is possible to make a living by "writing".

My friend knew that I continued to write, and one night in early March, he sent me a link. It was a job as a copy editor, and the industry I was researching was the blockchain world.

"You think you could give it a try?" he said.

I didn't open my resume at that time, but suddenly I had FOMO (Fear of missing out) and really wanted to give it a try. I spent an entire night getting my resume and portfolio ready and submitted them.

I had an interview on 3/23 and received an email notification two days later that I was accepted.

＊

I’m very happy, and I’m experiencing a sense of affirmation and self-realization through writing.

I kept writing and writing, growing from small to large like a snowball. What I wrote became a kind of proof, and eventually turned into an identity and a career.

It seems like it can really bring about some kind of change in your life.

＊

My writing experience is 1.5 years, and my writing is not the best, and I still have a long way to go. I am glad that I took that step, and did not give up halfway, but moved forward step by step...

It’s never too late to start, but it’s never too late.

■ Cold writing: Another review of "Atomic Habits"

Afterwards, I once again asked the mentor of " Atomic Habits " to write down some observations and verifications with a small amount of the author's data report provided by Matters.

✅Identity

First of all, the book mentions that if you want to maintain a habit for a long time, you must start with "identity" and make the habit become a part of "belief." Every time a habit is completed, it is like casting a yes vote of confidence in oneself (personality), making yes become the majority party. Over time, a new self-narrative will be shaped.

I don’t know how long it took me to have the desire to enter the writing industry. It was a gradual process! Like a seed sprouting, every time I write, it is irrigated and watered.

2020/08/22 ✍️ Published the first article on Matters.
2021/04/12 ✍️ Published the 100th article (after 233 days).
2021/09/30 ✍️ Published the 200th article (another 163 days have passed).
2022/02/24 ✍️ Published the 300th article (another 155 days have passed).

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✅The diligent actions of the Four Laws

The book also treats the " habit loop " appropriately, develops four rules of behavior change, and re-examines:

[Rule 1] Make the prompt obvious: be specific and clear

The reminder I set for myself is "read once a week and cultivate once a week (update)" and write it on my personal homepage as a reminder. But as time goes by, this slogan is often broken. It is an exception in a good direction, and the expectation is to move from the first update to the third update, so the threshold has changed from the ceiling to the floor...

⚠️ Rule 1: Diligent actions:
The tips can keep pace with the times, have a sense of restraint, and gradually increase the intensity.

[Rule 2] Make habits attractive: want

There is a " temptation bundling " technique that allows people to tie what they want to do with what they must do (cultivate good habits). I can't forget the funny example of combining "treadmill + binge-watching" in the book.

After practicing for a while, I also found that a more advanced method is to use "change of thought" to connect two things, convince my mind, make it willing to do it , and maintain it for a long time; for me, the ultimate goal is to think In order to produce updates stably, I also hope that the articles will be compact (to avoid empty words, repeating the same old tunes, and spinning in circles). To push forward, there must be an endless supply of materials... Then I found the root cause, which is reading , the simplest and most effective solution, supports all of this.

Reading and writing are successfully connected together.

⚠️ Rule 2 of diligent action:
Use "Change of Thoughts" to connect two things, and gradually replace the "temptation" bundle.

[Rule 3] Make action easy: easy to repeat

According to the " two-minute rule " mentioned in the book, the secret is to stop before it feels strenuous. In this way, the "action" will be easy to repeat. We need to do it enough times (accumulating enough yes votes of trust) to become automatic. That will be An automatic mental shortcut becomes a habit.

Recently, I also learned another way to create an "easy to repeat" environment , which is called "planning sense". It is to use a complete information unit to think about long-term and progressive tasks , such as a column, e-newsletter, and series of special topics. ⋯ ⋯Wait, establish a set of rules first, then it will be easier to implement them repeatedly.

Establish a set of rules first and it will be easier to follow them over and over again

✍️ The three principles of improvement:
Start from the established specifications and then seek changes (variations).

[Rule 4] Make the reward satisfying: immediately visible

When it comes to rewards, the first thing that immediately comes to mind is material rewards (money, tokens). This is certainly important, but if you can also be satisfied on a spiritual level and witness your own growth, you can have these "evidences" to accompany your habit development. The road goes further.

So I attach great importance to these little things. In addition to writing down which books I have read, I also record various milestones (experience bars, achievement values), as if I am reviewing a photo album, replenishing momentum, and can’t wait to continue (using habits) to write a new page. :

2019/09/20 📚Getting involved with e-books <br class="smart">The reading frequency is gradually fixed, reading once a week.
2020/08/22 🏠Settling in Matt City <br class="smart">It takes a lot of plowing (more).
2021/02/08 🏠 Matt City Architect ◍ Curatorial call for essays: #yourlifemotto , #mynostalgiacollection , #single-episodepodcast .
◍ Curating community growth incentive system: #WordDriftBottle Project .
◍ Pre-departure preparation for curating OpenSea: #MattcityNFT infrastructure .
2021/02/24 📁 Accept the case (1)
Because of the compilation of Mind Map, I got to know YouTuber @NeKo and have long- term cooperation.
2021/03/01 📚 Attend Mark Reading Club <br class="smart">Get to know @OOMark in the reading club and participate in the (online) reading club every Monday.
2021/04/12 🔥 Around the Fire◍ Curated special topics: #Reflections on Writing , #热内真情.
2021/09/28 🏠 Square Grid <br class="smart">Curatorial Call for Essays: #Merry Christmas Rhapsody .
2022/02/22 📁 Accept the case (2)
Complete the writing of the invited articles, one-time cooperation.
2022/03/17 🏠Matt Universe Pilot◍ Curated topic: #bibao .
◍ Curation essay: #What I want to ask about cryptocurrency .
2021/03/25 📁 Copy Editor

✍️ The Four Laws of Advancement:
Also records rewards at the spiritual level.

■ Postscript

3/31 I had an offline meeting with the team and checked the KPIs . It is estimated that I will write 10 articles in a month. The quantity seems to be okay, but I am more worried about the quality issue . I will officially start work after the spring break. I must first list 8 research categories. Title (and outline), panic.

Thank you Matters, a place where I can write with peace of mind ( ~~I lost my draft folder twice~~ ) and gave birth to everything I own and cherish.

🌱 Reflections on special writing are being serialized👉 01 ｜ 02 ｜ 03 ｜ 04 ｜ 05

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