Why You Must Stop Procrastinating and Take the Path to Your Writing Dreams
God designed you for a reason, for a purpose. Were you meant to write?
If you feel compelled to write and if that's what you're good at, what you would do if you were never paid for it or if money weren't a concern, even though it makes you feel like you're slaying a dragon every time you do it, but deep down you enjoy it and you feel like that is who you are, then you were meant to be a writer. God gave that talent to you for a reason. Will you use it?
If everyone understood the value they were meant to provide, the world would be a better place. We don't really know what we're meant to do–not for sure, anyway–, but those feelings we feel when we're doing something we enjoy tell us we're on the right track.
I don't remember how early I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I was developing characters and plots in the fourth grade. I started writing books in the sixth grade (they were never finished; the resistance kicked in), and I wrote short stories starting in seventh grade. Writing has been a huge part of my life for nearly two decades–that's more than two-thirds of my life!
I didn't wake up one day wanting to be a writer. I saw my sister developing plots and characters and I, being the little sister who always wanted to be grown-up like her sister, started doing it, too. My dream of writing has stuck with me through the mud puddles, the fallen branches, and the whipping wind. Once it latched on, it never let go. I was meant to be a writer, so that's what I am.
It isn't always easy. In fact, it's a lot of hard work littered with self-doubt, negativity, perfectionism, and procrastination. Writer's block? That's just a form of resistance in disguise.
So, if you were meant to write, then you must be a writer. That's it. That's what you are. You are to write so you can help people in some way. Help them cope with a challenge, allow them to escape into your make-believe world and feel joy or adventure, help them see that life could be so much better, let them know that they are not alone. What is it that you will help your readers with?
You don't need to know the details of how you will help them; it doesn't really matter. It will work itself out in the end, but what does matter is that you stop procrastinating, work hard, submit your work, and tell people about it so that readers have a chance to learn from you. You need to show up. Without you, they may never learn it. They may need you to tell them it's okay–that life will go on. But if you're not there…
I'm not writing this to make you feel guilty. I'm writing this to help you understand why you need to write and why you need to submit your work. You can do it! Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise.
To get started, I recommend reading through some of my previous posts. Transitioning back to your writing life takes time, and for best results, you will want to allow yourself to take baby steps. When you get started, you'll start feeling successful knowing you are putting your feet forward and writing one word at a time.
- It’s been a long time… - February 10, 2024
- Realizations About Tracking Progress - May 28, 2020
- Goal Setting & Productivity 101 - May 25, 2020