Duration
March - June 2026
Parameters
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| ID | 26003Q |
| Duration | ~15 weeks |
| Start Date | 2026-03-15 |
| End Date | 2026-06-30 |
| Rule | Any purchase requires a written, published piece |
| Tracking Method | Published posts on journal |
| Success Criteria | Every purchase has a corresponding published essay |
Objective
If I buy something, I have to write about it and publish it.
Why
My retail therapy habit was mostly broken coming into 2026. This experiment keeps that momentum going while adding a second payoff. Every purchase now has a cost beyond the price tag. I have to sit with it, think about it, and put something real on the page.
I also want to write more consistently. I tend to go long stretches without publishing anything, and I’m usually waiting for some perfect idea or the right moment. Tying writing to purchases gives me a trigger that isn’t dependent on inspiration.
The double return is the point. Buy less, or buy more intentionally. Write more consistently. Both things improve.
How It Works
The rule is simple: buy something, write about it. The piece has to be published, not just drafted and forgotten.
“Write about it” doesn’t have to mean a product review. It could be why I bought it, what problem I thought it would solve, whether it delivered, what it says about what I value right now.
There’s no minimum word count, but it has to be real.
The Risk
The accountability is entirely self-imposed, which is also the listed risk. Nobody is checking. If I buy something and decide not to write about it, nothing happens. That’s the hole in this.
The other risk is that I just stop buying things to avoid the writing. That would technically be a success for the retail habit, but a failure on the writing side. The intent is to do both, not to dodge one by eliminating the other.
What I’m Hoping For
If this works, writing becomes a reflex. The goal past June is to find a trigger that doesn’t require a purchase to get words on the page.