So here are my new rules:

• Keep it simple, make it fun.


• Start before you're ready.


• Done is better than perfect.


• Run it as a 30- or 90-day experiment. Get feedback. See what works, and what doesn't.


• If you want to, do it again. Only better.

As you experiment, keep checking in, and asking questions:

• Is this working?


• Am I enjoying it?


• Is it helping or

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Writing tip: The belief that the 1st draft must be good makes working on it an intimidating prospect that often leads to paralysis. So let the 1st draft be junk; it should be purely about getting from start to finish, nothing more. You really write the piece when you rewrite it.

This year I’ve been practicing the art of the ugly first draft. The prototype that barely functions. The essay that doesn’t know what it wants to say yet. It’s not because I’ve lowered my standards, but because I’ve learned that excellence emerges from iteration, not immaculate conception