The 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge: The Good, Bad and the Ugly

I Took The Challenge!
Well, I am close to finishing the 30 hubs in 30 days challenge here at the Hubpages Writing Platform. In case you haven't heard of it, this is a challenge where hubbers, as they are called, make a commitment to write 30 hubs in 30 days.
I am going to share some of the advantages and disadvantages that I have found in the challenge so far. Presently, I am on Day #28, and this is my 27th hub. I have two and a half days left to complete three more hubs (after this one.)
Writing 30 Hubs in 30 Days might not sound that difficult but it is a challenge. You see, hubs are often more involved in just a plain article: with pictures, sometimes videos and other multimedia elements. Of course, to the more experienced writer, it might be a cinch, but it sure has been a real challenge to me!
My Journey
I have tried to take the challenge two times before but have never finished. This is the closest I have ever come to finishing, and I intend to finish no matter what. Other times, it seemed that life just went crazy the months that I had planned to do the challenge and I did not have the heart to continue on with it.
What is different this time? Well, life has still had its very crazy moments this month, but I am very determined to finish this challenge for my own sake. It is a personal accomplishment for me, and I am not willing to give it up. My family knows I am doing it, too, and I am very focused on this challenge right now.
For this hub, I will focus on the good things, the bad things and the "ugly" things about my challenge journey. For my last hub of the 30/30 writing challenge, I will sum up all of the hubs I have written for the journey and what my final conclusions are.
Confidence As A Writer
The Good Parts About the 30/30 Challenge
First of all, the good. Here is a list of the good things that have come out of doing this hubchallenge. I am pleasantly surprised by these outcomes and will write even more about some of them in my final summation hub. Here they are:
- I have learned to write faster. I am a notoriously slow writer but necessity has forced me to find ways to get faster and more efficient in what I do. I also did research and was able to find some good resources to help me out in this regard.
- I am discovering my niches. By forcing myself to write more regularly, I am starting to see what subjects I find easier to write about, and which ones give me more trouble.
- I have gained confidence as a writer. Having a concrete goal has helped me to build confidence as a writer. I know that I can write, even when I don't feel like it or when am tired or bored. Writing regularly has helped me overcome some of the mental barriers I have had to writing.
- My followers have increased. My prolific input has accelerated my fan base and my acquaintance with some great hubbers, and this has been fantastic!
- My traffic has increased. Producing so many hubs in one month has definitely boosted my traffic significantly.
- My income has increased. I have definitely seen an increase in my income. With an increase in traffic comes an increase in income. Doing 30 hubs in such a short time gives a very big boost to income and the income possibility in the future!
- I am gaining confidence in myself overall. This challenge is giving me more confidence overall to keep pursuing my personal goals.
- I have gained a commitment to writing as a career. Doing this challenge has helped me to gain a commitment to writing as a career right now. I am presently involved in part-time tutoring and part-time writing. I plan to continue in this path and make it work. I am not looking at other jobs and wondering if it is the right thing. Since making the commitment, have been pursuing several opportunities and feel much more confident in my choice.
- I cleaned out many of my drafts. I had over 30 ideas sitting in my drafts folder and I got rid of many of them by either writing the hub already, or by getting rid of it. I started to get more realistic about which hubs I would actually do and which ones were good ideas at the time but better left to someone else. One hub that I just recently finished was one about planning my wedding. It was the second hub I ever started!


The Bad Parts About the Challenge
The 30/30 Hub Challenge has been a very positive experience overall but there are a couple of things that have not been that good. Here is the list of the disadvantages of the 30 Hubs in 30 Days Challenge:
- I have less time to keep up on comment replies. I always respond to every person's comment on my hubs and I have less time to do that, because I am so focused on getting the challenge done.
- I have had less time to read other people's hubs. I usually try to read a hub from every person that makes a comment on my hub but during this challenge, I am not always able to do this.
- I have less time to promote my hubs. I have a pattern that I usually spend about 2/3 of my time writing and about 1/3 of my time promoting my writing. With the writing of more hubs in a shorter time, I find I have less time to do bookmarking and other promoting. I have done some, but not nearly as much.
- I have less time to tweak my hubs. I like to tweak hubs, and add a lot of extra components that will benefit the reader, such as related links, and other capsules. I have less time to do these kinds of things and I have to be sometimes satisfied with less in the hubs. Next month, I plan on catching up on the tweaking and the promoting.
- People find it harder to read my work when I produce so much at once. I think this is the biggest disadvantage of the challenge. If you are publishing two or three hubs a week, it is easier for your followers to keep up with many of your hubs. However, with me doing 2-3 hubs a day to catch up, I know that my normal followers cannot keep up with my hubs. That is something that I don't think can be helped.
The Ugly Parts About The Challenge
The hardest part about doing the thirty hubs in thirty days challenge is fitting it into your life. I do feel that other parts of my life suffered. Here's how:
- My housework got behind.
- My cats got mad at me. Yes, they felt I was not giving them enough attention.
- Other people got less attention. Pursuing this goal seemed to put other things on hold, and I am grateful to my husband for being understanding.
Well, that is a quick sum up of the good, the bad and the ugly regarding the Hubpages Challenge. If you plan to do the challenge sometime, I hope it has helped to give you some idea of what you might expect. Of course, your experience will vary according to your skill level and lifestyle but some of these may apply. Happy Hubbing!
Comments
Thanks for the great information about doing 30 hubs in 30 days. I think it would be hard to fit it into my life too! But one day, I'm gonna go for it. Voted useful!
This is useful information as I begin to contemplate the 30/30 challenge that myself and at least two other hubbers are going to do in June.
This is a great hub that truly depicts the 30 day challenge. I am on my hub challenge right now. I started on March 1st and am on Day 15 of the challenge and I'm about ready to write hub # 15. So, I'm half way done. I have seen much of what is discussed in ths challenge.
I love the motivational hubs, thanks :)
I have considered doing it but am very slow producing hubs. Thanks for providing a comprehensive explanation of the pros and cons. I may attempt this in the future.
I have started writing a over sixteen years ago but only had my work published a few years ago, I have chosen writing as my new job self-employed and devoted to my article writing and kindle publications your hub is a useful one thanks
Congratulations on your commitment and determination! Kudos to you!
Great job Prairieprincess.....your goal is not just within sight but you're almost touching it!
This hub is a great guide for anyone thinking of doing the 30/30. It is not always easy and you have pointed out some of the problems faced when doing the 30/30. This hub, covering the "good, the bad, the ugly" sums up the 30/30 BUT the good outweighs the bad and the ugly for sure.
Congratulations, I know you'll finish with flying colors.
Voted up, useful, and interesting.
Congratulations on your 30/30 - you have succeeded already. This is a great list to show people what they are in for when they do the challenge - it does take a lot of time - and it does take work to find places to take that time where it will do the least damage. I wish you the best going forward.
I really hope you pull it off this time around. Great Hub with very useful information about this Hub challenge.
Good luck!!
That is so awesome that you are just about there. I too have written almost 30 in my first month here and most of what you said I can relate to. Congrats again, voting up and shared too.
Wow, you're almost there! Maybe some day soon I will embark on the challenge. You have inspired me!
Hi, I'm doing a 30/30 right now. Is there a place we can chat and blog about it? I set one up, but no one seemed interested. Maybe there already is a place? I'd like to keep in touch with other people doing this.
Everything you say is true. The 30/30 is so good for networking support, increasing traffic and revenue. It gave me a real boost back in March and I am continuing to grow from that. You are an excellent writer with so much to say. I was thinking about you and had to come by to see you. Hope you are doing well. Nice hub. Going to share it!
Congratulations!!! I'm so happy and the rest of the stuff...the housework, the comments, etc...will resume once again! Take care. :)
Hi; Good work in meeting the challenge. It takes a bit of discipline and its good that you took something away from it.
Don't forget to pay attention to your cats, though.
Rob
Hi prairieprincess, glad to hear that you learned so much from doing the 30/30 challenge and big congrats to you when you finish .
Vote up and more !!!
You are welcome and I will tell you a secret. You do not sleep or eat much during 100 hubs in 30 days challenge.
Best of luck to you in all your future endeavors.
JT
You have nailed the good, the bad and the ugly parts of the challenge except the most important aspect which is you have completed it. You will complete the 30 hubs in 30 days and I wish to congratulate you. Your cats will forgive you. You house will evetually get clean and your husband will continue to be supportive. I will be waiting to see when you complete the 100 hubs in 30 day challenge.
All My Best,
JT
Congratulations for coming to the end of the challenge. I've been wanting to do 30 in 30 but just can't seem to find 30 days on my calendar that I can clear enough. Like you described yourself, I'm a notoriously slow writer. I think it a challenge would help me focus and learn some helpful shortcuts to the process. Thanks for sharing your insights.
I enjoyed reading about your experience and the way you added bullets to each point made the hub clear and easy to read. Good work and good luck with your last few hubs.
Oh, I totally agree. I am a little more than half way through this challenge. It seems to have taken on a life of its own!! I completed the 10/10/10 prior to this but this is MORE...next, I will be undertaking 100 in 30!!!Thanks for sharing this; I wish I had seen it before I began so I could have known what to anticipate.
Great hub. I have thought of doing the 30/30 challenge. I did a 10/10/10 challenge in 3 days, but you are right, other things suffered. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and congrats on your challenge.
PrairiePrincess, this is a useful hub for anyone who decides to take on this huge challenge (I'm not one of them - too much of a scaredycat :o)). As in most things in life, somethings got to give and your 'ugly' section shows that usually, its your personal life that takes the brunt of this - luckily your hubby knew that he might lose you a bit for 30 days and your cats will get over it :o) Well done so far, I look forward to your last two - I am confident that you will achieve your goal. Well Done!
Voted up and shared.
best wishes to all
Sharilee, congratulations! I agree with all of the benefits you mentioned. It definitely helped me to define who I am as a writer. I found my voice doing this challenge and developed four or five niches that I can write about on a continual basis.
You are a very good writer and I enjoy watching you grow in your craft! Well done!
Quite motivational hub!good luck! for the next three hubs.
Great!!! The goal is in sight, and you are almost there. This hub is informative, useful and very honestly written. Thank you for writing this. In His Love, Faith Reaper
Really great hub, I'm going to do this also. Thanks for the hub it will be a great help to all of us..
Well done, I am trying this and hope I can accomplish it. Thumbs up. :)
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