Writing
Tip: Whatever your reason for not wanting to write when you've promised
yourself you would--whether you feel too tired, busy, or blocked--write
anyway for 15 minutes. There's magic in putting pen to paper (or
fingers on keyboard).
The 15 Minute Writing Rule
When you've promised yourself that you're going to write, then write--no matter what--for 15 minutes.
If you're scheduled to write for an hour, it doesn't matter. Write for 15 minutes.
- If you're exhausted and about to collapse, it doesn't matter. Write for 15 minutes.
- If
there's not one single thought in your head, it doesn't matter. Write
for 15 minutes, even if all you can write about is being stuck.
Sometimes the desire to write sparks some inner resistance. That's why excuses are so easy to come by. The antidote is to grab hold of the idea of writing for ONLY 15 minutes.
That small amount of time isn't intimidating. And because it feels doable, it gets you to start writing, which is the key that unlocks writing's magic power.
You see, the act of writing frequently…
energizes you when you're tired
- reconnects you with your material, or writing practice, when you're feeling disconnected
- opens pathways for inspiration to flow through when you're blocked
- clarifies your ideas and vision when you're confused
And often, once you start writing, you catch fire and simply write and write and write.
All
of these good things happen because the things you think you need
before you write, in order to write (inspiration, feeling connected to
your project, energy, clarity, enthusiasm), all the things you're not
willing to write without--are what you get FROM writing.
Even when writing doesn't give you all, or any, of these benefits, and you actually do end up writing for only
15 minutes, you feel good that you at least wrote something on a day
you promised yourself you would, and rest easier knowing that you
really were too (tired/busy/blocked/etc.) to write, and weren't just procrastinating.
The idea of writing for only 15
minutes may be what lessens your resistance, draws you in, and gets you
to start writing, but it's the act of writing, itself, that is the
miracle.
Try it and see for yourself.
