I must admit, my steam for writing was running low last month. The days were on repeat, meaning that the needle gauging my progress wasn’t moving nearly as much as I wanted it to. I’d be getting ready for work, pumped up that a fresh new day was upon me, ready to conquer my ‘to-do’ list in every area of life: work, home, health and fitness, and writing. By the end of a long day, the last item on that list was always left behind. Even though I’d love to prioritize writing above my work tasks, and especially my cooking and cleaning duties, it’s sadly the thing that gets the least attention during the week.
How could this issue be solved? How come my passion, the thing that energizes me the most for the day, is the very thing that is missing from my life?
At the end of the day, I was frequently frustrated with myself and my ever-increasing list. While one or two items were crossed off, I knew there were dozens of tasks not getting done. Furthermore, I started craving to work on these items. No matter how hard I pushed, I wasn’t making the necessary progress to launch my writing career forward.
What I needed wasn’t motivation. I needed a partner.
Let’s switch focus to another priority high on my list: exercise. I’d like to think of myself as a dedicated athlete. Every day starts with time in the gym, walking, or swimming laps in the pool. Nothing except the flu wavers me from my exercise routine. I frequently shake it up not only to challenge my muscles but to keep myself interested.
I recently changed pools, upgrading to a nicer, six-lane pool. At my last place, I was the fast one in the pool. While I have a heart rate goal, it was difficult to constantly push myself. This is not the case at the new pool, where I’m a mediocre swimmer at best. A fast swimmer beside me makes me want to pull harder, kick faster, and improve my stroke. I needed this shift to challenge my swimming, to keep me motivated, to improve my skills, and to boost my heart rate.
As always, I compare the small stories of my days to my writing. I recently hired someone to help me with my edits and social media. This sidekick has a beautiful writing style and a great work ethic, both of which have inspired my enthusiasm for writing, forcing me to carve out some time every day for this craft.
This new blossoming of attention towards my writing has allowed me to write all the words, query those libraries, and even learn how to make Instagram posts! All these things are keeping the waters freshly stirred, driving me to continue to make time for this dream of mine.
What are your ambitions? What makes you continue on your journey?