Habit

 To say my writing isn't going well is an understatement. The fact is, it's really not going.

At all.

Now, before any of my kind-hearted friends jump in to console, rationalize, or advise, please let me stop you. I've done all of these things already. 

None of them solve the problem.

Yes, it's true that my schedule is busy. Yes, it's true that my job isn't one I can leave at the office. Yes, it's  true that my job and my writing both draw from the same well of creativity, and that well isn't limitless. Yes, it's true that my main project right now involves revising and submitting, which are my least favorite parts of this writing gig.

But these are issues that many (if not all) writers face. And they go on to write books anyway. 

Identifying these obstacles doesn't solve the problem, but it takes me a bit closer. To solve a problem, after all, one needs to identify it, along with potential solutions.

One afternoon last week (when I could have been writing), I took advantage of the beautiful day and the flexibility of my work schedule to go downtown. I had an order to pick up at one of the stores, which just happened to be across the street from an independent bookstore.

Of course I had to go in.

Although they didn't have the book I was looking for, they had plenty of others. I hate to leave a bookstore (especially a small, independent bookstore) empty-handed, so I came home with two new books and a fun new must-have item. (More on that in my next Friday Feature).

One of the books was a book about writing. 

With few exceptions, I've never been a big fan of writing prompts, how-to books, or books about writing, but this slim volume of reflections appealed to me -- so much so that I had to dip into it last night. And, as long as I was being out of character, I skipped the beginning and picked a section in the middle that looked interesting. (And then I went back to the beginning. I'm not a savage).

As a counselor and a psychology instructor, I have a bit of a tendency to overcomplicate and overanalyze, especially when things aren't going well. (See the writing issues/excuses/rationalizations above). But reading those few pages last night opened a window and, this morning, the ideas just kept showing up.

Was there a magical solution in the pages of that book? Nope. Just a simple description of the writing life of a published author that sounded a lot like mine. Sit down to write. Get distracted. Get back to work. Get distracted again. Succumb to said distraction. Return to work. 

This author writes for a living, with established hours. There's no day job to work around -- this is her job -- and yet there's no magical productivity fairy who shows up and ensures that the books get written. She is the one who has to show up.

I don't know whether it was the sunshine, the walk, the book, or some combination thereof, but overnight, the simplicity of the solution became crystal clear.

Show up. Make it a habit. Accept that some days will be joyous and others will be frustrating because that's the way a job works, whether it's writing or teaching or acting or plumbing. 

And that is okay.

My day job, like pretty much everyone else's, is a mix of creativity and extroverting, drudgery and detail, all of which are draining. This is not a complaint or even an excuse (although I've definitely used it as the latter). It's a fact of life -- of my life.  

So, what am I gonna do about it? 

I'm going to show up. I'm going to do the simple thing I do for everything else I need -- or want -- to do. I'm going to put it on my list, slot it into my calendar, make an appointment with myself and keep it.

The thing is, it's not that hard to get back into a habit. 

At least not as long as you want to.