Want to write but can’t seem to ever get it done despite that writing commitment you’ve made to yourself?
Funny how that happens.
Three years ago, I wrote a blog post about the need for time blocking. The main point was that none of us will ever just find the time to write. We have to make the time.
Time blocking is an essential step, but it isn’t enough. In order to actually honor those hours you’ve carved out for writing, you have to commit without question. And that’s often the problem.
Ironically, we have no problem committing to everyday tasks. We somehow manage to get up, brush our teeth, shower, get dressed, eat and do our work without even thinking about it. We certainly don’t question our ability to do these tasks. We’re simply all in.
Yet somehow, according to human potential coach Chris Dorris who calls himself The Mental Toughness Coach, when we tackle the things that are most important to us, we hesitate. We question. We’re anything but all in. And that opens us up to failure.
Committing yourself to writing isn’t just a matter of committing to a schedule. You have to commit to the belief that you can write that book or whatever else you’ve got your sights on. You also have to commit to not beating yourself up.
That’s not the easiest thing. I joke that I coach with a pompom in one hand and a bullwhip in the other, but the reality is that I almost never use the bullwhip since all too often my clients have taken care of that and then some. But here’s the problem. If you’re busy castigating yourself for not writing or for not writing as much or as well as you think you should (whatever that means), you’re imposing a sense of negativity onto the writing process that will be hard to shake. And let’s face it. Who wants to do something that makes them feel bad? Not me. Can you say avoidance?
So this fall, why not try make a writing commitment that’s laced with belief. Believe that you will write a great book. Will it take a few drafts? Absolutely. Will it take longer than you anticipated? Probably. Can you do it? Most certainly. You just have to take the leap, get the help you need, and commit to the process and the belief. As Chris Dorris would say, you have to be all in.
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