I’ve had “writer’s block” for a week or so. Or five.
Tonight I’ve written for an hour so far. Probably two by the time I finish.
Edit: Make that 2 and a half so far.
What changed? I started. Seriously, it’s that simple.
Why the fuck do I keep having to learn this lesson?
The War of Art is all about this.
About “Resistance” … the thing that keeps you from starting.
Procrastination. “Maybe I should just do X instead…”
Distraction. No! Fuck, just focus. Sit down and start. It’s that simple.
Waiting for inspiration. NO NO NO NO NO! That’s not how it works. You get inspired when you start. Or, for me, sometimes when I go for a long walk outside somewhere beautiful. But it never happens when I’m reading the news or checking Twitter.
Motivation and Momentum come from taking action.
Years ago, I was training for a big climb, and I had to go for these long runs a few times a week. I hated it. I would put it off, feel like shit about how I was putting it off, and then, eventually, maybe, I’d remember the trick.
I’d stop thinking about the run, stop thinking about all those miles and how hard they would be. I’d just focus on the one goal I knew would make all the difference: put on the shoes, open the door, walk through it, close it.
Done.
If I could get that far, there was no stopping. I never once turned back around and went inside without going on my run. Literally every single time, the trick worked. And I’d feel proud and happy that I did the hard thing.
This works with other things too. With writing. I haven’t really written much lately. I’ve been feeling bad about it. Tonight though, I logged into this website, clicked the New Post button, and started typing. This is the third piece I’ve finished today.
I’ve written almost the same exact thing before. Why am I such a slow learner? It’s not complicated.
Just start. Take action as quickly as possible. It may not be pretty, but it’ll get the job done.
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