My Second Challenge as a REAL Medium Writer

 

I began this second challenge with 711 followers. Ironically enough, my story titled “How I challenged myself to become a REAL Medium Writer” has had one of the best readerships and followers of all the stories I’ve published since I started almost a year ago. Clearly this is an interesting subject for readers within and outside of Medium.

How I Challenged Myself to Become a REAL Medium Writer

After reading various posts on Medium on how to get more followers and make some real money on the platform, I decided…

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At the end of the first week of this month, I had a total of 736 followers. That’s an increase of 25 followers over the course of a week. A week in which I withstood a major setback in my personal life. I must say, I’m quite proud of myself for this.

I continued to read and watch more videos on how to become a better writer and still didn’t fret over having material to write about. My curiosity increased exponentially. I have always been a curious person but, by this time, my curiosity had reached a whole new level. I was constantly wondering about the things around me and how I could turn them into a “story”.

Starting my second week, I had 2 stories published and 5 drafts in the works. This was a first for me. I had several ideas and felt I had to get some drafts started so I wouldn’t lose touch with them. The learning experience continued.

Also, a writing schedule started to develop. That time after dinner when I would normally “veg” and watch TV was much better spent putting my ideas on paper (or screen). There are many days when I get home from work with a couple of story ideas burning in my head. I may watch some TV right before I go to sleep but I felt good that those stories were “out there” or, at the very least, in the works.

By my third week I had 7 stories published and 5 more drafts in the works. It was turning into a kind of snowball effect. I was starting to think that this must be how the “big guns” at Medium do it. Just seeing all the drafts I had in the works was so exciting, it made me itch to do this full time. Hopefully in the near future, if I keep this up and the earnings pick up.

I met my goad and finished the month with 15 articles (this is #15). Having started the month with 711 followers, I am now close to 780 — an increase of 69 followers this month. Once again, I am beyond proud of myself for having accomplished this during a complicated period in my life.

I think it’s all about the “circle of control”. When I think about the outcome of a goal, I have to make sure it’s something I have “control” over. Yes, I want 1K+ followers on Medium but the reality is I don’t have control over whether someone decides to read or follow me or not. But what I do have control over is the quantity and the quality of the writing I publish and where and how I promote it.

For me, writing has been an entrance to a world so fascinating — I can’t get enough of it. As a Medium writer, I love that I have control over what material I write about and I choose to write about subjects I’m curious about — subjects that make me feel good- that speak to my heart, my character and the person that I want to be.

I feel grateful that I will have been a writer on Medium for a year by the time this story is published and challenge is over. Not a top writer, but a writer nonetheless and I’m very excited about what the year ahead holds.

My Top 5 Performing Articles on Medium (And How I Came Up With Them)

 

I will soon be celebrating my first year as a writer on Medium. This is an event that will go largely unnoticed as my family and the majority of those around me on a daily basis are not “readers”. There are a few close friends that, like me, recognize this as a milestone (and you know who you are). For them, I am eternally grateful.

Then there are the 769 Medium followers for whom I am immensely grateful as well. I hope this article motivates those of you who have just joined or have less than a year on the platform to stick with it as I have.

1. The Sound of Healing — 216 Reads

The Sound of Healing

It has been proven that certain sounds, rhythms and vibrations help us reduce stress, cultivate a deep sense of…

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It was a complete surprise to me that so many people would be interested in reading about this. I have attended several sound healing meditations and ceremonies in my area and really loved how I felt during and afterwards. For that reason, I decided to research the subject and found the research interesting enough to write about it. At the time, I had been a writer on Medium for 5 months and the response gave me quite a push to continue writing.

2. The Benefits of an Edited Life — 116 Reads

The Benefits Of An Edited Life

The more stuff we have, the happier we are, right? I certainly haven’t found that to be true.

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This was my first story about minimalism, a subject I had just started to get curious about last October — 6 months into writing on Medium. This has become one of my favorite concepts. I practice it and have since written several other stories on the subject but none have done as well as this one.

3. The Transformative Power of Struggle — 91 Reads

The Transformative Power Of Struggle

This is NOT something you’re gonna want to hear. We are ALL going to struggle in this life. It is a guarantee that you…

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I wrote this in just 4 months writing on Medium. In fact, I had just gone through a struggle myself and, not long after, realized how it had transformed me. So many of the stories I’ve written come from incidents in my own life that I’ve had to overcome. Writing about it doesn’t just allow me to share with my Medium readers, it helps me to see the situation more objectively as well.

4. My Daily Dose of Destiny — 76 Reads

My Daily Dose of Destiny

I get that, for most of us, rational thinking is considered deeply important. When I say “rational” thinking, it…

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Six months into my Medium journey and I was just “putting this out there”, not expecting any readership at all. Another subject I didn’t know was so interesting to so many others. It just goes to show we are never alone. This platform has such widespread readership. It showed me that there is a place to share anything I want to write about.

5. What Makes Friday So Special? — 68 Reads

What Makes FRIDAY So Special?

Right before I left to work this morning, I received a call from my sister. She greeted me with an enthusiastic “TGIF”…

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Just 2 months after writing on Medium, I was searching for ideas for articles and realized it was Friday. The phone call from my sister mentioned in the article got me thinking and off I went. I love that Medium allows me to write about whatever I choose. During this time, I was new and getting readership was not only important, it was thrilling!!! Like most of us, I still love Fridays and I love that we know more about it now.

So there you have it. I am NOT, by any means of the imagination, what anyone would call a “heavy hitter” on Medium. I don’t even have a 1K following yet — but I’m working on it. I can honestly say that I’ve had a year of discovery, learning, sharing and massive transformation with what I’ve learned and thoroughly enjoyed by writing.

I’m in it, as they say, for the long haul. If you’re a beginning writer, this is a very exciting time for you. I know because it still is for me.

Max Your Productivity

 

Life comes at us fast. All-day we are bombarded with emails, phone calls, and requests for our time. And, the volume of this stuff seems to grow each day. When these external demands for your attention are added to your already full desk, your day can be lost just trying to dig out and keep up.

Do a productivity audit on yourself

You only need to track your activities for a month to do a productivity audit on yourself. There are many time tracking tools available online ( DeskTime, Proofhub, Hours, just to name a few). That’s enough to get an understanding of how you’re spending your time and compare it to how you think you’re spending your time. Trust me, you’ll be surprised.

Use a timer

Here’s a very powerful secret- time yourself while you’re working. Set yourself aggressive time lines too. If you think it will take you an hour to write that article, try and do it in 45 minutes. You’ll find that this will sharpen your focus if nothing else.

Identify your prime time and eliminate distractions during those hours.

Get very clear over all the times when you’re most productive. Most people hit their stride at about 10am. When’s your prime time? Block out that time in your calendar and use it to become laser-focused.

Use your mornings as a springboard for success.

We’ve all heard this is the secret of the highest achievers. They use their mornings to get a jump on their day. By the time they’ve reached their afternoon they’ve completed their most important tasks. They even get their workout done, read or listen to inspiring material (often while working out- more about this later) before they start their day. This increases their energy levels and sets them up for success. The first few hours of the day sets their tone. What do you do to get yourself into gear when you wake up?

Reserve your creative work for the morning.

If your day involves work that’s creative or requires critical thinking, schedule this for your mornings. For most people, mornings are their “prime time”. This is when you’re likely to get the best breakthroughs and maximum output on creative pursuits. Save the admin tasks for later in the day.

Plan your day the night before using time boxing.

Planning your day the night before gives you emotional distance from the overwhelm that inevitably creeps into your busy work day. Plan your tasks on your calendar using time boxing and stick to the plan. Only make exceptions for emergencies!

Consume audio content while exercising.

There are over 200,000 books available on audiobooks today — in just about any subject imaginable. All are good to listen to while exercising or while driving or commuting to and from work or errands.

Learn the art of saying “No”.

Do you know what makes Apple so successful? They know how to say “no”. They say no to hundreds of possible design features that they could cram into their devices and distill it down to the bare essentials. They are masters of elimination. The end result? Simplicity in form and functionality. This is the approach you need to take to your to do list. Distill it down to the bare essentials and then go to town on those tasks first.

Don’t Multitask, Unitask.

Lets bust one of the biggest prevailing myths around productivity. Multitasking does not work. Many studies have demonstrated the myth of multitasking. It causes more distractions, dulls your focus and increases stress levels. Its costs far outweigh its benefits.

Process your email in batches.

Email is one of those tasks that can really hijack your day. Don’t check your email too often. That’s a recipe for disaster when it comes to productivity. Train your stakeholders to expect replies from you at 10am, 12pm and 3pm. You can do this by using an “out of office” message or a message in your email signature. Stick to these times. You’ll be amazed at how many ‘urgent’ tasks resolve themselves!

Stop procrastination dead in its tracks once for all.

One of the biggest drains on your productivity is procrastination. It affects your productivity in 2 ways. Firstly, you lose time when you are procrastinating. Secondly, and more importantly, delaying tasks often comes with a cost. For example, if you don’t exercise regularly you’re more likely to end up with heart disease or a stroke.

If you let important tasks build up you’re going to spend a lot of time putting out fires that you would never have had in the first place if you had completed the tasks ahead of time.

Becoming truly productive is a matter of generating productivity habits that you routinely do every day. It begins as a deliberate decision. You shape the routines that create your habits — the habits that will lead you to your goals.

You make the choice.

ILLUMINATION

We curate outstanding articles from diverse domains and…

Healthy Coping for Turbulent Times

 

And just like that, humanity has been asked to do life differently. We’ve been called upon to slow down but that has brought a lot of things to the surface. Using healthy coping mechanisms is imperative now, but what do you do when that isn’t enough? I will share here some ideas that I’ve learned that you can try for yourself.

My first “go to”, in any situation, is my breath. Forcing myself to breathe and just allow myself to be with me is really important. I have been doing a lot of that throughout this time. Breathing keeps my energy centered in me and helps me to remain calm.

One tool is sleep because sleep is a “reset”. It’s life rebooting our computer. When we sleep, our conscious mind goes offline and our subconscious mind can work on things that need to be cleared. In the past, sleep was my magic pill, but right now, with the intensity of the events going on, even sleep isn’t working.

Another tool that I use is movement — exercising, riding bikes and going for walks. Moving the body has benefits in many of areas — it moves our energy and it helps us to move through emotions. Those three things are my “go to”. However, sometimes they aren’t enough and I have to ask myself what I can do to shift my energy.

Another mechanism that I’ve been using for many years now is journaling, in particular the gratitude journal. I’ve have read more than one account of how this has literally saved a person’s life. The process of focusing and writing about the things we are grateful for really shifts our awareness of looking at things we are blessed with.

Personally, I like going outside in the morning and having my coffee. There is something about this simple ritual that brings me such joy. I am grateful for each and every time that I get to experience it.

My invitation to you today is to look at the ways that have been working for you in the past and ask yourself how you can change the processes to match the intensity of the events going on today.

In what ways can you increase your peace of mind and in what ways can you project that into the world?

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Why I Want To Take The Leap

 

After migrating here from Cuba fifty one years ago at nine years of age and considering myself an American, I have come to realize that the structures in place in the United States no longer resonate with my values and what I want out of life.

At my age, I am done with chasing the American dream and yearn for a life that is simpler. I yearn for more free time and less anxiety. I yearn for a slow life — a life of simplicity.

0I reject the idea of my worth being in my work. That what I do is more important than who I am. I don’t want to live to work — I want to work to live. It’s practically impossible to live comfortably in the U.S. when the minimum wage barely covers your cost of living. I don’t see the point in staying in a country where living to work is more prioritized than enjoying life. Everything is a means to an end in this country and the quality of life just isn’t there. This makes striving for a work/life balance a worthless endeavor.

I reject the concept of excessive materialism and flamboyant overconsumption that exists here. I am surrounded by people that seek eternal fulfillment by being a constant consumer.

The fear of not being able to afford healthcare keeps me up at night. I want to escape a health system that punishes instead of help the sick.

I have come to realize that money only marginally changes life. The only difference between the rich and the poor is that the rich have money. It doesn’t solve the problems that people without it seem to think it will. External things don’t fix internal issues. We tend to forget this and it causes much confusion and suffering.

There is more to existing than working hard to pay off mortgages. When I visit other countries, a disturbing vision of the rest of my life on the same anti-climatic loop plays in my mind. My instinctual nature is prudent and life-preserving and it tells me when enough is enough.

I know that in other countries out there, there is a different way to live. Most countries outside of the U.S. do indeed live this way — with more simplicity and more ease.

One day, I’ll take that kamikaze leap.

10 Principles of Intuitive Eating That May Change Your Perspective

 

What exactly is intuitive eating? Most people don’t know what it is or are familiar with it in any way.

Intuitive eating is an evidence-based eating framework that involves elements of psychology, behavior change, self-awareness, intuition and instinct. It is a combination of these things.

At its core, intuitive eating is a way of tuning into, and connecting with your body and your unique needs, in a way that you are learning to trust your body and the biological signals that we receive every day — such as hunger levels and fullness. This also includes weight.

There are many psychological, mental, emotional and physical benefits to eating intuitively. Things like improving your self-esteem, your body image, reducing anxiety and depression, helping to reduce eating disorders and, in some cases, reducing obesity. Overall, it improves quality of life.

There are 10 principles which cultivate our awareness of our bodies and the signals it is sending us:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality. We are inundated all of the time with diets, quick fixes, eat this, don’t eat that and countless weight loss plans. We need to let go of all of these rules we feel the need to adhere to ,and make us feel like a failure when we “fall off the wagon”. On the whole, diets have been demonstrated to go against our biology, and to usually fail.
2. Honor Your Hunger. This is a really helpful skill that you can learn to develop over time if you’re not used to it. Hunger is your body’s way of signaling to you that it needs fuel. It is a primal need that we have. It is very important that we supply our bodies with nutrition when it signals hunger. Restricting food can trigger a very primal drive to overeat. When we learn to trust our bodies and tune in to our hunger signals before we reach that point, we learn that we can trust our bodies again.
3. Make Peace with Food. Give yourself permission to allow all foods in your diet. When we restrict certain foods from our diet, it actually makes us want those foods more. It makes those foods hold more power over us. When you give yourself permission to allow all foods in your diet, you discover that a lot of those foods that were once forbidden are no longer as exciting as they once were.
4. Challenge the Food Police. Is there such a thing as the Food Police? Yes. It’s made up of the thoughts and the stories that we tell ourselves about eating a certain way (“this food is bad, why did I do that?, etc.). These are thoughts that make food a stressful thing for us. The food police is rooted in our psyche from many years of diet beliefs and behaviors. You challenge the food police by asking yourself compassionately where these thoughts are coming from and replacing some of those thoughts with more positive ones.
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor. Our eating experience is made up of so many factors — tradition, culture, social connection, friends, family, etc. The environment that we cultivate a sense of satisfaction around the food that we eat. When we have these things in place, food is no longer just about food, you are finding pleasure around the eating experience and you no longer feel like you have to overindulge because you’re feeling satisfied on all levels.
6. Feel Your Fullness. Along with eating the foods that you intuitively desire, it’s important to pay attention to the signals that your body sends us that let us know that we are full and no longer hungry. We can tune into this better by practicing more mindfulness around our mealtime. This would involve slowing down with your meals, putting your fork down between bites, chewing thoroughly. Also, try pausing in the middle of your meal and asking yourself, “What are my hunger levels at? Am I starting to feel full? Am I satisfied?”. Be mindful about your eating.
7. Cope With Your Emotions With Kindness. Anxiety, anger, frustration, sadness, loneliness, boredom — these are emotional states that all of us experience sometimes, and food can act as a way to comfort us, to distract us, or to numb us. But it doesn’t help us to get to the root of why we are feeling that way. It cannot fix these things. With intuitive eating, we are learning to check in with ourselves with not only what we are eating but why we are eating it.
8. Respect Your Body.This is about developing a deep appreciation and acceptance for your body and your genetic blueprint. It can be quite the perspective shift when you can recognize that all our bodies are vastly different. Try to get into the perspective of recognizing and appreciating what your body is capable of. When we shift our perspective from what what we look like to what our bodies are able to do for us, it makes it so much easier for us to let go of a dieting mentality where we are being unrealistic or hypocritical of our bodies. Bodies jiggle, skin wrinkles. These things are normal and it’s all okay.
9. Movement: Feel The Difference. Try to shift your perspective from believing that exercise is always high intensity, sweating profusely, always about burning calories, or getting into some angle of looking a certain way. Instead, focus on how good it physically feels to move your body. Our bodies were designed to move. It doesn’t have to be so intense all of the time. Sometimes it could mean going for a walk. Other times it could mean dancing around your living room or doing yoga.
10. Honor Your Health With Gentle Nutrition. This is all about making food choices that taste good to you and you enjoy eating and also nourish your body and make you feel good. It’s important to understand that it’s not about eating perfectly all of the time. We do not need to eat perfectly clean food all the time in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. The way that we eat changes some days — things pop up on our schedule and we go for it. One day’s worth of eating does not determine our state of health.

Intuitive Eating is about making choices that make you feel good and nourish your body but knowing that it’s okay to not be perfect. Happy eating my friends!!!