#AtoZChallenge : A reflection
First things first. Yay! I completed the A to Z Challenge! I have taken up the challenge twice before and completed it. So this was the third time – a hart-rick! I’d decided last year around this time that I’d take up this challenge this year too. I’d also told myself that I’d plan ahead so that I’d have nothing to worry about during the challenge. But things don’t always work out the way we want them to right?
Though I signed up for the challenge within a few days of the registrations opening, planning for the challenge somehow took a backseat. I wasn’t able to give it enough time. The theme reveal came and went by and I hadn’t decided my theme forget doing the theme reveal. All these days after not being able to plan for the challenge, the thought of not participating the challenge struck me. But when the theme reveal day had arrived, I’d made up my mind. I’d decided that I’d not be taking up the challenge. I told myself that it was okay to give it a miss.
How then did I end up participating?
March 31st. While I was at home for Easter, doing nothing in particular, a thought struck me. Why not try and participate in the challenge? I knew it would be difficult but I thought it was better to try and then fail rather than giving it up without trying at all. My plan was to write short posts. I had managed to write poetry for 100 days continuously. That’s how I told myself I could do this too. I had no theme in mind. While randomly scrolling through some things on Pinterest I found the word “Apricity”. That word became the title of my first post for the challenge. So before going to the midnight mass for Easter and after coming back from the mass, was all the writing for the first post done. I wrote each post just the night before the post was supposed to be posted and ensured that the posts went live in the morning. No planning in advance, just write on the go was my mantra.
There were days when easily found a word to write about and then there were days when it took me a long time to select the word and then think of a story around that word. But a personal achievement for me was that I never gave up. There were days when I worked in office till 11 pm and came back only around 11.30 and yet the next morning my post was up! There were other struggles as well but this was my personal favourite 😛
What pushed me throughout the challenge was the set of wonderful people who read my posts day after day. Some helped me with word suggestions. There were others who asked about my post even if it was delayed by a bit. That constant support and encouragement is what helped me post for the challenge. Blogchatter with all their plans, schedules and constant encouragement gave some much needed encouragement. My fellow bloggers who though were busy with their own challenges, took time to read my posts! Thanks to each and every person who in some way or the other helped and encouraged me throughout the challenge.
The best part of the A to Z challenge is the variety of posts that are written for the challenge. I tried to read as many as I could but I know I should have read more. I am still reading posts from the challenge because they are all so awesome!
Every challenge has something to teach us and this time the lesson for me was clear – Don’t give up! Did you take up the challenge too? What did you learn from it? Do let me know.
Also here is something that you can relate to about the challenge. Read this.
Congrats for completing the challenge. I can understand how it feels. Somedays, writing comes naturally, some days we have to force ourselves as we have to publish in a timely manner. It takes a lot of time to finish successfully with some scheduling.
Thank you 🙂
I love this post because it means you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. And you have done just that and with style!
Congrats on completing the challenge 🙂
Thank you so much Shailaja 🙂
Kudos on completing the challenge, and sharing some beautiful words with us. We are richer in knowledge, thanks to you, Reema.
I’m glad you liked the words I chose! Thank you Mayuri 🙂
Well done on completing the challenge, Reema. Me to. I had an amazingly hectic month so I’m really impressed that I completed it. It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? Here is the complete list of my posts.
Yes, it indeed is a great feeling! Thank you so much 🙂
Reema Firstly congratulations on completing the challenge, it is no easy task. You did brilliantly well, with your choice of words and a lovely story to go with each one of them. Well frankly, I hadnt come across most of the words. 🙂 Dont fret about reading through others posts. Well I agree it is good to do so, but dont kill yourself over it. Have a great and hoping to read your MAy gratitude post too soon
Thank you so much Ramya! I am happy that you liked my stories.
You can do anything if you put your heart and soul into it, that I know 🙂
Congrats on completing your challenge successfully, Reema and I learnt so many beautiful words thanks to you.
That’s true! Thank you Soumya for reading each of my posts and supporting me throughout the challenge 🙂
There is something satisfying about giving yourself a goal and achieving it, Glad to know that you did manage the A to Z – I’ve done it for three years in a row but didn’t do it this year simply because it can get quite exhausting and stressful
Yes A to Z is exhausting and stressful. That is the reason I almost gave up on doing it this time!
All the more you should be congratulate d for getting through !
Congrats on completing the challenge Reema; it feels huge no!!! I admire your verbosity to manage to write a day before each posting especially with a busy work schedule. You did amazing and I hope you are proud of yourself 🙂
Fellow bloggers is what keeps us going in such challenges- I am very grateful to my circle of readers for the push and shove to write too.
Wow. Kudos for completing this challenge even though you had such a rigorous schedule. I know that I would not visit your posts often. But those that I read…never once did I feel that you had written it in a hurry. Hey maybe you should maybe a nice image of each word and put a small definition at the end – and put it up on Insta or Pinterest (in case you already haven’t). These get a lot of likes, I’ve realized.
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