I've been thinking about all the excuses (aka things our Inner Critic says) we come up with to keep ourselves from writing.
Here are some of mine:
I'm too busy
I'm too tired
I have to do some Very Important Thing first (Spoiler alert: There will always be a Very Important Thing)
I was going to write but found myself watching Queer Eye/scrolling Instagram/checking emails/fill-in-the-blank instead
I don't have any good ideas
I don't like my writing
Nobody else likes my writing
WHY EVEN BOTHER??!!
Why do we have so much resistance towards something we love?
Because writing is VULNERABLE.
It takes courage to stare at a blank page and fill it with your halting, messy, imperfect words.
It takes courage to face the wounds, fear, and self-doubt that can arise when you write.
It takes courage to believe that your rough draft might turn into something anyone might want to read.
It takes courage to say no to other obligations to carve out time for yourself.
It takes courage to believe that you have something meaningful to say.
And...
The vulnerability is not a problem.
What would it be like to acknowledge the vulnerability, fear, and resistance, give that scared little part of ourselves a BIG WARM HUG, and then choose to write anyway? Just for five minutes?
If you need a prompt, check out my free workbook A Week of Mindful Writing.
Now, grab a pen, set a timer, and keep your hand moving for the full five minutes without crossing anything out or worrying about spelling, punctuation, or grammar.
As writer Diana Goetsch says, “Write as if from the grave.”
Your time starts now.