Hey guys!
My life has been going through some BIG changes (check out my day-to-day adventures) including a new job and *gasp* buying my first house. The last few months have seen me living out of boxes in my parents’ house while I wait to close on our new place, which has been accompanied by more than one tearful meltdown. As exciting as steps forward are, they also come with their own stresses and energy drains that can make it hard to focus on your other dreams. So, as I’ve been working my new job and buying my new house I haven’t been:
- Cooking;
- Working out;
- Writing
Other things have fallen by the wayside too, such as my social life, and the only thing that’s kept me from panicking is knowing there is a very close end date to this madness. I’ll be settled in my house, I’ll be used to my job, and I’ll get my life back on track.
Moving is a big process but so worth it!
Right?
One thing I’ve learned is I can’t depend on my future self. Sure, there might be a day when she’s super motivated and gets stuff done (look at me, writing this blog post!) but overall Future Amy isn’t much better than Present Amy. But Present Amy has a hard time accepting that.
So what does Present Amy tell herself about why she isn’t writing, and why does she think Future Amy will be better? Let’s take a look:
- I’m Too Tired. This is a tricky one because it is so important to rest. If Present Amy is tired it is entirely possible Future Amy will be rested. But sometimes I’m just feeling lazy. There is a difference between exhaustion and lethargy. To tell the difference between the two, I ask myself Will it help to rest? If I am exhausted, the answer is yes. I need sleep, or to unwind in some other way, making sure to do so mindfully. Scrolling through Facebook for two hours isn’t rest, but watching an episode of my favorite show with a cup of tea or taking a bath with a book is. If I am lethargic, doing this isn’t going to help, or even necessarily seem that fun. The best thing I can do to fight lethargy is to make myself move, do something active or productive, and then to settle in and write.
- I Don’t Have Time. One word here: Priorities. Yes, sometimes I don’t have time. Sometimes (especially lately) I have a million other things that need to be taken care of right now and something like writing has to be pushed aside. When I have days like this, yes I don’t have time. But the job I have now includes 4.5 hours a day at my computer, often with stretches of free time (I’m doing virtual customer service) so as long as I have some pauses during that job, yes I have time. Put out the fires by all means, but once everything has cooled down, find the time to write. It’s there, I promise.
- I Need to Think About This Scene. The term “Writer’s Block” is one I never use because it is so obviously an excuse. Writers Block is overcome by writing, not by playing games on your phone while Netflix is playing, or by checking Instagram. But I can do a heck of a job convincing myself that I’ll figure this snag out if I just give myself time. And sometimes it’s true. But there’s a difference between a day off and a month off, so while you should respect your need for rest, also respect your need to get going again. Give yourself a limited time frame to think about the scene that’s bothering you, and if nothing pops up, return to the computer at the end and just. Start. Writing.
- I Can’t Write Like This. I have a very hard time writing when someone near me is talking. My brain naturally goes to the conversation, and the words conflict with what I’m trying to write. Other things can throw me off too: My computer battery won’t last long enough for me to get anything done, I don’t have internet, there’s not enough time to get into a flow. These are tricky because they’re believable. How do I fight it? By reminding myself of all the times I was in a quiet room with a cozy sweater, cup of tea, and full battery and still didn’t get anything done. Some writing is always, always better than no writing, so remind yourself that it doesn’t matter if you’re not in a good space to create the perfect flow. Just getting out a couple hundred words while the people around you talk, or before your battery dies, or that you have to scribble on the back of a napkin will get you that much farther and, more importantly, create a good habit of writing whenever you can, wherever you can.
- I’m Not a Good Writer. Or, even more dangerously, I’m better than this. You can envision this perfect time when all your ideas will flow effortlessly from your brain to the page, and the story you want to create will form in just the way you envision. But then you sit down to write, and it doesn’t work that way at all. Nothing you write comes close to your vision and, even worse, every sentence seems to be taking you farther from where you want to go. You begin to wonder if you should be doing this at all. The only way to beat this is to keep writing. First drafts are hard for me. When I tell myself I can make it better, I argue that it’s pointless to write the bad stuff at all. Why write what I’m just going to re-write? But, unfortunately, that’s what writing is. You write so you can look at it later and think how to make it better, to say what you want to say in a clearer or more impactful way. And having sentences or pages, or whole entire drafts where you feel like everything you write is garbage is just part of the process. My only advice here: Just deal with it.
Look what happens when you persevere!
Love you all a lot, and I hope to be doing a lot more of these soon.
xx
Amy