Rambling

05/18/2016

One of my best friends also happens to be my writing partner.

Let me explain.

For two years straight, we wrote to one another nearly every night. The challenge was simple:

  • Sit down and write 250 words about anything. If you get stuck, just start with Dear ________(insert partner’s name).
  • Add the writing piece to a google doc and tag the partner.
  • Do it by midnight, five nights a week
  • If you miss a day, add $100 to our private paypal account.
  • If/when we reached $500, we would donate the money to a non-profit focused on helping kids write more (826 Chicago).

That’s it.

For two busy entrepreneurs who travel often, it was no easy feat. I missed at least twice.

Still, I decided to start publishing one of my better writings each week on a blog. He’d help me choose which ones were worth posting. And that’s how Wednesday Words was born.

Then, my partner decided to make things even more challenging. He decided to write a poem every single day for the last days of his twenties. 190 days to be exact.

That’s 190 poems – back to back.

Every morning, I’d wake up to see a new poem in my inbox. I’d make comments or suggestions – and he’d either accept them or defend his work. It was an incredible banter.

Now, he’s doing something that takes even more courage: he’s bringing a group of artists together to interpret the best poems through photography and design. Together, they’ve created a beautiful book called Rambles, and the project is nearly funded on Kickstarter. I couldn’t be more proud of him and the artists that have rallied around him.

My writing partner is Dane Johnson. He’s a truly special guy. And if you’re reading this, I think you might enjoy this book. You can back the project here. He only needs $1,400 within the next 15 days to hit his goal.

In any case, if you’re considering doing anything that challenges you, find a partner…set a tangible, specific goal…create a consequence and/or reward…and do the thing you were meant to do.

You’ll never know what will come of it, but I have a hunch the leap will be worth it.