People online are trying to write short essays for 30 days straight. It's not a challenge but more of an attempt to build a habit. The goal is to get better at writing.
Why? If you want to get better at writing then you have to write. If you want to establish a habit then you need do the thing. In order to do the thing you need to start the thing. Writing 250 words per day is a small enough goal to get started.
And it works. I have written 250 words (or so) per day for the past 30 days. The essays are getting better but I am no Hemingway. I even use the Hemingway App to help me refine the essays.
I think having the goal is important. Doing the writing is even more important. I think reviewing your writing and trying to improve the most important part of this entire exercise.
Write a short essay is practice and practice does not make perfect. Perfect practice make perfect (or so I have been told).
My original goal of writing is pretty well established. There have been days when I was not going to get to my writing but sat down and banged it out anyway. That is the habit portion of the exercise.
The next goal is to get incrementally better. Looking over older posts I can see the nugget in there. Sometimes that nugget of an idea is never fully realized.
To get better I need to look at where I have been. Reviewing and editing will be the focus for the next month.
