What’s a sure-fire way to get and stay stuck while writing your book? FEELING GUILTY.
We all do this. We set up these huge plans around what we’ll write this week or next weekend or in the next month. Then, time goes by, and (inevitably) we don’t get all of that done. So, we send ourselves on a guilt-trip.
But feeling guilty about not writing creates a negative space around writing. As soon as you start thinking “I should have written more this weekend” or “I have to write 1,000 words today,” you create an internal resistance to writing. It’s like you create another person who is outside of you, shaking his finger at you, saying “You should and you have to!” Yeah, if you’re a normal person, you feel like you don’t want to do that thing anymore, and you have to force yourself to.
Essentially, guilt makes you feel resistance toward the thing that you want to achieve.
Remind yourself that YOU are the one who wants to write because writing will help you achieve other goals. Reaching the world with your message, making enough money to leave your 9-5 job, telling your story. Whatever your other goals.
In order to shift out of guilt and into productivity, celebrate your progress. List five ways that you have come so far in your writing projects.
Here are my five:
1. I have systematized writing for my blog. Blogging used to take up hours of every week, now it takes up one work day per month.
2. I am free writing every week. Not every day, yet, but every week, and that’s time well spent!
3. I am brainstorming my next book. I will celebrate those scraps of paper! That are around here…somewhere…
4. I have started writing my course. I’ll celebrate Part 1 of Module 1.
5. I am using webinars as a way to help me get farther along in my writing course. :) Another one is coming up!
See how far you’ve come, and then look forward to even more progress!
Click below to watch my more in-depth video explanation. If you’re struggling with being open to this infinite expanse of writing ideas, anxiety in your writing, take the next 15 minutes to watch this video:
If you like this video format, you should download the Periscope app onto your phone and follow me @MorganGMac. I scope at least five days a week, all about writing motivation, inspiration, and advice.