I’m completely set up to be successful in my writing endeavor this morning.
I got up early. I’ve learned over time that if I want to get some writing done then I have to do it before anyone else is up.
The whole house is quiet, it’s dark outside. I’ve got my morning beverage of choice. I open my computer and my writing app. I put my headphones on and play some music that I’m sure will help me get the words out of my head and onto this page. Then I start writing.
An hour later I’ve got bits and pieces of a lot of things, but none of it makes any sense. It’s all over the place and none of it ties together. I’ve written about three different topics because I can’t seem to focus on any one thing. The time I had for writing has come and gone.
“I’m such a hack,” I tell myself. “There’s no way you’ll ever be a real writer.”
It’s in these moments that I have a choice. I can choose to believe what I’m telling myself, or I can choose to believe the truth.
If I choose to believe the lies that I’m telling myself (as I often do) then I’ve just enlarged the trench that I am constantly digging in my spirit that says that I am no good. I add another bucket of gasoline to the fire inside of me that keeps me from doing hard things.
But if I choose to believe the truth about me and what I’m doing, then I have the opportunity to fill in that trench of self-hatred a little bit. I dump a cup of cold water on that fire of self-doubt and contempt.
The truth is that writing is hard. No writer sits down at their desk and comes up with the perfect words day after day. Writing is a muscle and not every workout goes according to plan. There are hiccups and bumps in the road all the time.
The truth is that success isn’t defined by the quality of the words that I write on any given day. Success is that I sat down and gave it a shot. Success will be showing up again tomorrow. Success is in the body of work created over time, not in the one thing that I happened to write (or not write) today.
The truth is that I am loved and cared for by my God and my family whether or not I ever write another word again. They believe in me and what I’m doing. They’ve got my back. That truth alone should help me continue to pursue this goal even when the days are bleak and the writing is bad.
I want to encourage you. Even on your worst days, when everything seems to go wrong, remember:
- Life is hard and no one is perfect.
- Your success in life isn’t dependent on your performance today. It’s determined by showing up day after day and giving it a shot.
- You are loved and cared for by someone beyond what you can believe right now. Keep going.