I told a friend of mine that I would have a new blog posted within a week of us talking.
I have been making up reasons not to write for over a month now, and I figured some social accountability would help me get over this resistance.
Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get past the brainstorming stage again this week. But rather than admit defeat and put off posting for another week, I decided to document the struggle I’ve been having to create and let it exist as a reminder to myself and anyone that reads this that there is always struggle along the way.
This is especially true of starting something new. I had a strong start with a few good ideas that I was able to expand into larger posts. The problem then became that I expected my posts from then on out to be the same length and quality as the one I had done previously.
But that isn’t why I started this practice of writing. I started this as a way to organize and convey my thoughts in a concise manner that allows for growth over a long period of time. Ideally, I would like to continue to improve at a steadfast rate, but I have to be realistic with my expectations.
If I find a topic I’m passionate about, and I’m able to rattle off 2000 words on the subject, that’s fantastic. But if there are times when I can only muster 400 words about struggling to come up with a good idea and maintain consistency, then I need to embrace those posts as part of the process as well.
I want to be able to get out of my own way and do the work for the sake of starting something and finishing it. If I write something that sucks, so be it. Hopefully, the next thing I write will suck a little less.
The lesson for this week is that perfectionism is the enemy of progress.
Nothing creative will ever be perfect, and that is just something I need to accept. I might not be able to express my ideas as well as the writers I admire and respect, but everyone has got to start somewhere. I need to embrace the ups and downs and keep moving forward.
“Nothing comes merely by thinking about it”
John Wanamaker
Originally written & posted Jan 18, 2018
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