I’ve been publishing my writing for six years.
On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Navigating This Space Blog turned six.
I was reminded that morning when I checked my calendar for the day’s schedule, and I quickly made a mental note to send out a newsletter about this huge milestone. The day’s activities took over, and before I knew it, I was sitting on a bench in a park after sunset, chatting with my best friend, when that mental note came back to me.
I missed my own deadline.
I didn’t beat myself up for forgetting. I chose to do something else, something small but significant. I walked over to Whole Foods and bought a vegan vanilla cupcake to celebrate not just the day, but the moment I gave myself permission to truly take my time.
Time Changed My View on Success
My definition of writing successfully has morphed into many things over the years.
There was a time when I thought writing daily was the epitome of success, so I wrote daily. Every morning, I’d start with an idea I picked from the list I created and didn’t stop until the words stopped flowing.
That sprint transitioned into a marathon that had me pumping out two to three pieces per week. Eventually, that slowed down to one piece per week, then one per month.
Now, I write whenever the words flow and won’t stop flowing.
The issue was never writing. It was trying to adopt a writing schedule that all the “gurus” said I should have while ignoring the fact that life has a tendency to get in the way sometimes.
I still write…very often.
I don’t go a week without journaling a few entries, and my digital typewriter keeps me tapping away either late into the night or early in the morning.
I’m currently writing this early in the morning.
The issue has always been pressing publish.
My Publishing Method
I cannot publish something without it being edited for grammar and formatted for clarity and readability.
These words don’t always magically organize themselves in a way that allows you to understand what I’m saying the first time around.
That’s the part I despise the most: rereading, reorganizing, and editing for grammar.
But it has to be done.
I’ve realized that I’m the bottleneck simply because once I finish the first draft, I consider the writing complete and make a mental note to publish it.
As you’ve already witnessed, my mental notes aren’t the best way to make sure I actually finish and press publish.
For example, when I turned on my typewriter, the last thing I wrote popped up on the screen. I read the final line and remembered that my intention was to publish it.
But there it was, staring back at me.
Another, “Damn, I forgot!”
What Success Means Now
If I were basing my success on how many pieces I’ve already published, I’d feel terrible, which would trigger the thought pattern that I wasn’t doing enough.
But what is enough, and who set the standard?
I don’t have to meet some made-up number to consider myself successful or to consider this blog successful.
I’m successful simply because I did not give up, and I’m not willing to ever give up writing and publishing my words.
It doesn’t matter anymore how much time passes between pieces or how long or short each piece is. The only thing that matters is that I am a writer who publishes her work.
That was my core motivation for starting this blog, and now, six years later, I am extremely proud that I didn’t allow the prospect of making tons of money to change that core.
I once read something that I’ll paraphrase: if money is your core motivation for doing something, don’t waste your time and energy because when the money doesn’t come the way you expect it to, what’s going to keep you motivated to continue?
When I began six years ago, I saw this journey going in an entirely different direction.
I was blinded by the glitz and glamour of bloggers making money by selling courses teaching people how to start a blog.
I didn’t fully understand then that the urge to simply write and publish was what would keep me going.
The world of writing has drastically changed since I started. Now, anyone can prompt an AI chatbot to write a polished piece and publish it.
If my goal were simply to publish things for maximum visibility, I could be pumping out multiple articles per day.
But at what cost?
Once upon a time, I’d tell you outright that I was not a writer.
But the truth I now know wholeheartedly is that I write because I love to write.
My body and mind feel elated during and after a writing session. It does not matter how much time and energy I spend filming or drawing; I will always return to scribbling away in my journal or clacking away on my noisy typewriter.
I don’t know the type of person I would have been if I didn’t write, and I’m happy that I chose the path of the pen.
This journey has taught me that my path is uniquely mine, and comparing myself to another person disregards the leaps in progress I’ve made.
I now know that following the flow in this life is the best decision I’ve ever made and will continue to make.
I look forward to the growth I’ll keep experiencing, the improvements I’ll keep making, and the day I’ll write entire pieces in another language.
I wrote, erased, rewrote, scratched my head a few times, and rewrote the next section again because I wanted to end this on an inspirational note.
But there’s only one thing that keeps repeating in my head, so I’ll end this piece with it:
“Life is always changing because change is inevitable.”
Cheers to six years of Navigating This Space!
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