July 8th I told you I was taking a month long break. Those 4 weeks quickly turned into 5 then 6 and now 8. I’m back, but can I let you in on a secret?
I don’t want to be back.
I haven’t lost my passion. I still care about you. I love to write. So why am I hesitant to be back?
I was talking with a friend a few weeks ago about my short hiatus. He wondered when I was going to be back. I compared writing with exercise.
The thought of exercise isn’t fun. I know it’s good for me physically. I know it strengthens my body. I know it makes me feel better physically, emotionally and mentally. It remains a chore to just lace up the shoes to go for a run.
Nothing comes by chance, luck, love or even passion. All disciplines require hard work.
Nothing comes by chance, luck, love or even passion. All disciplines require hard work. Share on X
Just like exercise requires mental toughness, so does writing (and golf and business and photography and cooking and school…). When you put it down for a time, it’s not easy to pick it back up. It’s hard work.
Do you know the feeling? You are deeply passionate about your “thing”. You just can’t get over the hump to step (fully) into it. So today, I’m stepping back in.
I’m nothing special. You can do it too. You just need some steps to get yourself back in the game. Here are three things I did to get myself in gear:
1. Have a plan.
One of the things holding me back was “feeling” uninspired. I emphasize “feeling” because success follows the 80/20 rule.
Too often we place an emphasis on passion in our pursuits in life. Passion is fleeting (just ask anyone married longer than a few years). What really matters is preparation and hard work.
Success is 80% preparation, planning and hard work. The remaining 20% is inspiration, passion and love. You better have a plan.
I couldn’t figure out a plan to move forward, but I didn’t really try either. When I truly began to try, I cobbled out some thoughts. I gave myself a target date. I began to write.
What is your plan to move forward with your dream?
2. Be accountable.
Part of your plan should be a system to hold yourself accountable. It might be telling a friend about your ideas and goals. It could be posting it on Facebook. It might be a date in a journal or a calendar. Maybe it’s a sticky note on the wall in front of your desk.
Personally, I told the world I would be back in a month. I was a month late in returning, but my announcement lived in the back of my mind. I might have been laying on the couch watching television, but I felt the weight of my announcement the entire time.
Who or what is pushing you to produce results?
3. Just do it.
The purpose of 1 and 2 is to get you to this point. It comes back to the beginning.
Hard work.
Nothing worth having comes without hard work. Sure the lottery is out there, but have you seen the stats of winners whose lives are in ruins now? Easy money destroys.
What you want is worth the work it in front of you.
Just do it.
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