What to do when you don’t want to do it.

Nobody talks about this.

The past week, I’ve suffered a massive bout of writers block. Day in and day out I don’t really know what I want to write. My recent writing has been okay – not good, not great…just okay.

This morning I woke up and just didn’t know if I could do it. I’m far from wanting to quit, yet I just don’t feel the drive pushing me forward.

Do you ever feel like this? Do you feel like this with your photography? With your business? Kids? Marriage?

Why don’t we talk about this?

This is real life.

Real life isn’t massive success or unbelievable failure. Real life is somewhere between extremes. The ups and down come and go, but life goes on.

The question is how do we deal with it?

How to do what you don’t want to do.

So what do you do, when you don’t want to do something? Something you can’t not do. I could list a million examples, but I’ll let you fill in the blank.

This is what I do.

1. Do it anyway.

I might adjust my schedule where possible. I may do just the minimum that day or week, but I work despite the feelings. Those feelings come and go. What I’m building does not.

Steven Pressfield in his book “Do the Work” suggests that real breakthrough comes when you do what you don’t really want to do. Purpose comes when you push through the hard thing.

2. Be transparent.

I’m effectively telling the world about my struggle. It feels good for me, and I know from experience that it feels good for you.

You may not have a blog that is appropriate to share these feelings, but you have friends or employees or partners or family. Share with them your thoughts and struggles. It will encourage you both.

3. Get out of your box.

In the middle of writing this post, I observed a snail inching its way down the side of our house. I stopped and took pictures with my phone. I found lens attachments Kia gave me for Christmas. I took pictures of a snail and then our cat that followed me on this mini-adventure.

Austin Kleon in his book “Steal like an Artist” describes this as “Using your hands”. He encourages artists to step away from the screen and physically use their hands to create. He’s even created an office space with a “digital desk” and a “physical desk” allowing him to create outside the digital box.

Your box may not be a computer screen. It may be you studio building or your town. Your box may be your camera or a lens. Your box could be photography or your business in general.

Get outside of your box. Create and live outside of it.

4. Look beyond.

Saturday I mentioned my tendency to be myopic or navel gaze. I get to close to my projects, and I can’t see the forest beyond the trees. You might do the same.

This is where my word for 2012 comes from – RISK. I have a desire to do something beyond the now, the normal, the here. I imagine you feel the same way from time to time.

I don’t want to stuff down that desire and feeling. I want to explore it and see where it goes.

I feel better.

I honestly feel better having written the last 600+ words. I’ve done it. I pushed through, and did something I didn’t know I had in me today.

Push through. Share with a friend. Get out of your box. See beyond. Do it today.

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