June 28, 2010
750 Words
Today marks the 22nd consecutive day that I’ve written 750 (or more) words at 750words.com. And I would like to officially encourage you to try the site out as well.
What is it? Basically, 750words.com presents a blank canvas for you to do a daily mind dump. It it a journal? A blog? A free-association experiment? Yes.
Everybody uses it differently, and their use often varies day to day. Some people sit down, start typing, and don’t stop until they have 750 words with no plan or structure whatsoever. Some people use it as more of a personal journal.
My entries tend to be a cross between a journal and a mind dump. I usually type out what’s at the forefront of my mind that day, and in so doing, I usually get a better grasp on it myself, and it becomes easier to articulate should I talk or write about it later. I don’t worry about making sure everything makes sense or ties together. I’m just trying to get it out of my head and onto (digital) paper.
Though you can technically go back and read everything you’ve written in the past, that’s not the point. It’s not meant to replace journaling or blogging, but rather to supplement it.
Be forewarned; it’s a fairy significant investment. 750 words is probably more than you’d expect – this blog past is just under 500. It usually takes me anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes to get to that 750th.
The rewards are also significant, though. While the system looks very basic at first glance, it has some fairly complex analytics that break down what you wrote, and give you some great feedback. On top of telling you how long it took you for to write 750 words, and how many words you typed for each minute you were typing, it also gives you a pie chart of what you’re concerned about (abstractly speaking), and how you’re feeling.
Click for a closer look into my subconscious
It also allows you to see how all of that data has fluctuated over time, your most commonly used words, your fastest time to 750 words, etc. You even earn badges for meeting different criteria like writing for 5 days in a row, getting to 750 words in less than 15 minutes, etc. Those little rewards make this little app stand out as something unique and worth investing into.
Even if you don’t do any regular writing (ie blogging, journaling), I highly recommend trying 750words out. The impact that it’s had on me isn’t exactly massive, but I’ve definitely had a clearer mind the past three weeks. You’d be amazed at how therapeutic it is to just vent anything and everything once each day.
And how awesome you feel when you get the Phoenix badge.