YIKES, What Have I Started!
Yesterday I began working on my 1st blog ever. Being a novice – inexperienced with website/blog building – I ended up writing and editing in real time, with my post being publicly edited, i.e. posted for all to witness. Now, I wouldn’t have been all that upset about people witnessing my painful writing process but, when I checked my email, I had a slew of folks already signed up for my blog. Yes this is GREAT! news …and yet it kind of threw me a little. I was both excited and a little anxious. A voice in my head was already pressuring me (I know, I know, I was pressuring myself) — “You have people out there waiting for the next post! You have a responsibility here!”
The last thing I want this endeavour to be is work. At the same time, I do need to exercise some discipline and create structure if Therapy Made Easy (TME) is going to be satisfying — for you and me. I have
never been big on structure. If it’s something I like doing I will, like most people, muster the discipline. All about balance I guess. Here it’s the balance between discipline/structure and just hanging out and having fun with my fellow blog followers.
And finding out where that voice in my head originally came from …and alleviating the pressure I put on myself!
Finding Structure
Writing helps relieve my anxiety – but right now it’s not good for my sleep hygiene. It’s 5am. I’m awake with ideas. Inspired. I have to write it out NOW before I forget. Before I lose it all. I type out 5 good (I think) ideas for future posts. Where to from here?
Just get started. Write anything. Nonsense, stream of consciousness, journaling/diary stuff …it doesn’t matter what. Anything. We’ve probably all heard this many times before . Why? Because it’s true – it usually does work. Eventually the flow begins.
I recently heard a story about a novelist who had written over 70 novels. Someone asked him how he was able to write so consistently and remain inspired and motivated every day, as writers are notorious for procrastination and for fighting through bouts of “writer’s block”. The novelist said, “200 crappy words per day, that’s it.” The idea is that if he forced himself to write 200 crappy words, more often than not, the act of writing would inspire him and before he knew it he’d have thousands down on the page.
– Mark Manson > www. http://markmanson.net/
I think of it as a little catharsis of sorts. An action taken. The uncomfortable charge of anxiety, or the numbing out due to fear (depending on your personal fight-or-flight default mode) is dissipated. Thus allowing flow.
Ok, I’ve pummelled you guys enough; you get what I’m saying. Enough from me about me and my process…no wait,there’s never enough about me, here’s more…
Yes, it’s true – I am the Buddha. But so are you, so I guess it all works out in the end.
And…