4 Things That Kept Me Writing: Lessons from NaNoLand

Garry-Tony's-Cave USA by Christian Panama

Here are 4 things I want to share with you; things that I've learned, mostly over the last year, but more profoundly over the course of my NaNoWriMo experience.

1. 

Myelin, Baby!: Learning by Doing.

See, there's this stuff called myelin in our brain. I learned about it by reading this post by Justine Musk called The Dirty Secret Truth about Talent - and How to Grow It. We grow myelin by struggling, by learning something new and challenging. 

"...every time you struggle with a new skill, every time you push yourself,  you’re firing the right signals through the right neural channels.  Myelin adds itself to your neural circuitry…until one day the skill comes so “naturally” that it looks and seems effortless.  You are “talented”. But that “breakthrough” you experienced didn’t come out of nowhere.  It’s not a gift from the gods."

 It's hard work and myelin working together to 'grow' your skill, your talent.

So keep pushing yourself, keep working hard, keep striving. It will pay.


2.

Give up on Passion: What I Mean, is this...