I once read something from Seth Godin that went something like this, “If you want to tell me you have writer’s block, first show me all your bad writing.” And it got me thinking about how we tell ourselves one story but our actions say otherwise. We aren’t actually committed to developing this craft or putting in the work, it’s just a pipe dream that’s easier to hide behind than it is to execute on.
With writing, I get caught up in the minutia, tearing apart the work I produce, and blocking my creativity with false narratives that are based on what I think others will say or feel about my writing. This kind of thinking prevents me from showing up and shipping my work.
I tell myself I want this thing SO BADLY, yet I hardly commit and then wonder why I struggle to get words on the paper when I finally do make time. Of course it’s a struggle, because it isn’t routine or a priority. It isn’t something I’ve done over and over again until the words just flow right out of me.
So I’m just here today, producing shitty drafts so I can move in the direction I want.
The hardest part of a commitment is the slow and tedious repetition. The mundane. The times when no one is watching or paying attention and you still have to show up and produce something.