If you’ve poked around on my website or read any of my blogs, you’ve probably come to the understanding that I’ve always loved to write. Ever since I was a kid, I’d be making up poems and short stories, family newsletters, articles, journal entries, and anything else I could click out on the typewriter or scribble in my notebook.

Throughout my life, I’ve never lost that love or passion for writing, which is why I am where I am today – working in the marketing field, freelancing and owning my own digital consulting business. And while the consistency ebbs and flows, I still write as much as I can.

I believe practice makes perfect. The more you practice a new skill, the better you become at it. If you believe Malcolm Gladwell, after 10,000 hours you will be an expert at that skill. That’s 416 days of constant practice. I’d say over my lifetime, I’ve accomplished 416 days of practice writing. I’d say that makes me an expert.

However, just because I’m an expert doesn’t mean I get to stop practicing. I have a few pretty consistent writing gigs for clients, generating blog posts on various topics for their websites. I also write for my full-time job. While I do consider this practice, because I’m still writing, it’s not what helps me retain my expert status.

Instead, it’s the writing I do for fun. The journal I try to update every day. The poetry that sometimes just flows out of my brain. This blog. “Short stories” or scenes I see while I’m laying in bed or day dreaming watching the birds in my backyard. When I have to grab a pen and scribble as fast as my hand can write, or type it out on my laptop or phone because it’s faster and I don’t want to forget. Most of the time it’s whatever comes however it comes, without editing or thinking. This is the practice that will help me to rise above and continue to improve – for myself and my clients.

Here’s a challenge for you.

Pour yourself a cup of coffee. Or tea, if that’s what you prefer. Pick up a pen and notebook, or scrap piece of paper, or grab your laptop or phone or tablet – whatever “writing” instrument you prefer. Sit and place the cup of coffee within your eyesight, or you can hold it. And write. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? How does the coffee smell? How does it taste? Describe the cup. Write about your surroundings. Detail the coffee, the way the creamer swirls around or the steam rising off the top. Spend about 5-10 minutes just writing. Don’t think, don’t edit, just write.

Did you complete the challenge? That’s practice.

For as long as I can, I will continue to practice. Continue to improve myself and my ranking as an expert. I’ll do it for my clients and my career, but also for myself. Because I love it, and it can be as simple as writing about my cup of coffee.