A year in progress

A year ago, I founded an online publication called Worth in Progress - a site dedicated to daily articles about philosophy, psychology, personal development, and more. I made a pact with myself to publish new articles every day for one year. Today's article, the one you're reading right now, is article number 365.

I posted the first article here on WIP July 25th, 2018. The article served as an introduction to what was to be expected from this online publication. It also revealed some of the motives I had to begin this journey.

Shortly after there were articles ranging from self-help hacks to pointing out why news are a waste of time to more psychological phenomena. (It seems like yesterday when I drew those Penrose stairs.) We also banished multitasking, touched upon Steven Pressfield's Resistance that still plagues me, and talked about the single most important thing you can do to make your life better - a specific topic that is close to the heart of yours truly.

On August 20th, Worth in Progress the YouTube channel was launched with a video about 5 ways of getting more things done. More list-style self-help videos followed, until the channel progressed to literature with our first Infamous Book Week. Soon there would also be videos contemplating philosophical and psychological subjects like Stoicism, Dostoevskyan life, and everything according to Ralph Waldo Emerson. I also got a haircut.

The articles ventured into the idea of creating a new identity, the countdown for Christmas was kicked off, and the aspect of dieting was introduced to the subject of self-development. This acted as a stepping stone for some videos about the ketogenic diet and how it can help you optimize your life.

In December, some articles revolved around analyzing random quotes from Inspirobot and counting further down to Christmas. The final article of the calendar year explained the rules and principles of the New Year's Seminar. In January, I found philosophy in everything and covered one of the deepest subjects yet, the fear of death and the fear of life.

Some self-help articles and lists and travel guides and keto recipes and videos followed, and then, I explained books in mere minutes, covered Jordan Peterson's book 12 Rules for Life, grinded through a Super-May, and had a failed makeover.

Towards the end, there was an article series about summer wisdom, analysis about a Theodore Roosevelt speech, and in July, I slammed the table with hard-core no bullshit articles, including one about making today count.

It's been a crazy year. I got so nostalgic going through the articles and videos linked above. And those only scratch the surface! I mean, I posted an article every day - this one is number 365! The articles covered all kinds of things from the Dunning-Kruger effect to how to make a horcrux to letting go of negative relatives.

So did I learn something?

Yes. Several things in fact.

Making a pact with yourself that makes you work your butt off every day for a year, and then finding it in you to stick to that pact, is immensely rewarding. You prove to yourself you can do anything if you just decide to.
Even if no one reads your online publication, it doesn't matter. What matters is that you produced; you created something external from your mind. And now all that wisdom is online for others to find and use as well.
Writing articles is fun as hell and writing in general is definitely my thing, no question about it.

Did my life change during the past year?

Yes. In many ways.

I learned that putting yourself out there in the form of YouTube videos might sound scary, but once you climb over that metaphysical fence, you'll feel liberated. Breaking out of the comfort zone gives you more air to breathe, and now I feel like I can climb other fences as well.
I wrote and published several books.
I went through dietary changes - from paleo to keto to carnivore. This taught me a lot about my body and how it works.

And finally: did I progress, and was there any worth in it?

Yes. Totally yes.

I now have a more fundamental understanding of how the world and my life work. I'm finally letting go of some past burdens and becoming a more courageous person. I'm eager to let go of the safety of a steady paycheck and instead force myself to the limit to make things work in my own company. It's scary, and I like it. I'll have a chance to prove to myself I had it in me all along.
I started writing and publishing more books, and that's definitely one of the biggest progresses so far. And there's immense worth in that. I'm proving resistance it ain't got nothing on me.
I gained perspective. I'm not nearly as judgemental as I used to be. I now see that other people have their own perspectives and problems and ways of operating that work for them. So, in a way, I've also become a better person.

There has been massive worth in progress. I'm not saying I don't have any mountains to climb anymore - in fact, I think I see more mountains now than I ever have - but I've come far. It's good to glance down every once in a while to understand the altitude you've reached. And then look back up to scale the distance to the summit.

Thank you for this first year!

Keep calm and progress!