Did you ever try to get your child to do something that they didn’t want to do? It is like dragging a cart with no wheels. My daughter can debate, reason and plead like one of the best lawyers in town. The time that she spends trying to talk her way out of it, the task would be done. Now I see where she gets it from. I dragged by feet for months on writing my blog and I used every excuse in the book. You know, ”I don’t have time”, ”I’m not sure what I want to write about”, so on…
As a coach I knew what I was doing, I just didn’t’ know how to get past it. Lucky for me I have some pretty amazing coaches. One in particular helped me to shift my perspective and get back on track. The best comparison that I can make is to exercising. My creative writing muscle was in bad shape and I was not looking forward to the painful beginning. As with any new endeavor, the hardest part is getting started and then sticking to it. Here are a few simple strategies that seem to work for me on my writing and that can apply to any task.
- Understand the importance. Writing and being able to connect and share with others is extremely important to me. Knowing this motivates me to find a way to move past my resistance and procrastination.
- Get Inspired. When I’m getting ready to write, the first thing that I do is research similar articles on the topic that I’m writing about. It’s fun to read different perspectives and writing styles. This inspires me to think about my own perspective and experiences on the topic.
- Take baby steps. Without action there is nothing. If I feel stuck, I start by writing down sentences of my thoughts. Even the sentences don’t seem to go together in the beginning. What is important is that I’m doing something to get my creative juices flowing. Once I warm up, I find that it comes easier.
- Stay Accountable. Having a coach or peer group to meet with every one to two weeks helps me to stay accountable on my action items. This is especially helpful when I’m doing something new. Sharing with the group my accomplishments and challenges motivates me and keeps me moving forward.
- Make it Fun. Adding pictures, quotes, funny catch phases or stories makes writing a lot more fun for me. I enjoy writing about real life experiences and struggles that can help others to connect or learn something of value. If I’m unable to find fun in the task itself then I find fun in the results of what I create.
Warmest regards,
CoachJenny Lopez
