Experiment #3: 750 Words (Days 17-23)

Although I still need to work on updating this blog more frequently, I have made a lot of progress with my current experiment. As a reminder, I have been using the site 750 words as an online journal since the beginning of December. I'm not quite prepared to break down all of the pros and cons of the site, though I am in the process of writing my evaluation for the month. I can say that the journaling process has offered a few important insights.

I began using 750 words in the midst of a long unemployment--without benefits, for the record--and I started working midway through the month, about two weeks after I began keeping my journal. I think that I have spent more time writing about work than about any other topic. The writing process itself has allowed me to vent and to deal with the fallout of unemployment without burdening anyone else. In addition, the statistics page has provided me with some valuable insights. Though it is still a bit flawed, I have gained additional information about my emotional states, preferences, preoccupations, and writing style. In fact, I was able to decide on my next experiment as a result of writing in this journal. Even though I originally had other ideas, I kept coming back to one particular experiment, so I decided to run with it. Free-writing has also given me the opportunity to deal with personal concerns as they arise. In a few short weeks, I have already realized my dissatisfaction with my work life, and the need to move forward with career plans. In all likelihood, it would have taken me a lot longer to reach this point if I had not had an outlet for all of my self-doubt and questioning.

According to my daily statistics pages, I have gotten considerably more negative as the month wore on, and as my work situation changed. I'm really looking forward to taking a deeper look at my results for the entire month. I anticipate some surprises.