Every three months, write an essay and read it to a willing listener.
WhenWeekly writing block; quarterly reading
“The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased.”
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter VII, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events 1727 onward; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Why it works
The Junto rule made members produce an essay, not merely consume discussion. The recurring reading creates a concrete occasion to finish.
Start tiny
Write one claim and one example in 90 seconds.
What you’ll notice
Notice which unfinished thought becomes explainable aloud.
When it slips
If the essay sprawls, narrow it to one claim. Keep the reading date.
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, chapter VII, in Frank Woodworth Pine ed. (1916); events 1727 onward; retrospective manuscript written 1771–1790. Read the source ↗
Mastery: Practices you develop over weeks through skill, planning and trade-offs.
