Why I’m Writing Atomic Essays Each Week

For the whole of 2025, I wanted to write more. And, for the most part, I achieved this. But the thing about writing is that once it’s written, if you don’t have anywhere to publish it, the project you spent so much time on can just sit on a hard drive, gathering digital dust.

This is why, in 2026, I’m challenging myself to write one Atomic Essay per week and publish them on LinkedIn and my blog – as well as Substack. Plus, on Substack, the goal is to publish one full-length essay a month, to really push myself.

But the publication of Atomic Essays isn’t really the goal. The main goal is to develop my skills through publishing them. I’m someone that, unless I have a reason to do something, I just won’t do it. So here in lies the problem. I want to develop my writing skills, but don’t have an active reason to do the work. Forcing myself to write – and crucially, publish – essays solve that.

So, through doing this, I hope to…

Build Discipline

I’ve set myself a deadline each week to write and publish one Atomic Essay. These are small, anywhere from 300 – 700 words, meaning they’re not a huge commitment each week. But it’s not nothing, so I’ll actively have to set aside time to work on them.

Ideally, the discipline that I’m building with this translates to other areas. For now, though, I’ll focus on the essays.

Get Better at Writing

I’ve been writing – both professionally and personally – for around ten years. Throughout this time, I’ve written hundreds of blog articles and even more journal pages, along with countless stories that have been and started then promptly put down and forgotten.

Through it all, I’ve learned a bit about writing and can hold my own.

With that being said, there’s always more to learn! By forcing myself to write, I’m hoping to develop my skills, perhaps create a style that I like, and potentially increase my understanding of writing in general.

Share Some Insights (Why you might be interested)

Without sounding too eggy, I’ve worked in marketing and design for just as long as I’ve been writing. Like anyone who’s worked in the industry that long, I’ve picked up a thing or two.

So along with building discipline and sharpening skills, I hope to share some of the things I’ve learned thus far. If you’re into graphic design, marketing, productivity, and even some Stoicism thrown in, you might find these interesting.

Perhaps this will be the best project I’ve ever started, and I’ll be a top-tier writer in a year’s time. Or maybe they’ll fizzle out around March, and we’ll all have to pretend this didn’t happen.

Whatever the outcome, there’s only one way to find out!