We writers are great procrastinators. Few events remind us of urgent tasks and motivate us to finish trivial chores like a scheduled writing session. Suddenly we remember emails we must send, laundry that needs our attention, and the far reaches of the refrigerator cries for sorting, cleaning, and organizing. How have we missed the dust bunny under the back corner of the couch? There are text messages, file folders to comb through, and only twenty more levels until we reach the end of the Candy Crush path.

But words don’t write themselves, and the stories living in your head are difficult to share. The day dawns, and we realize it is time for a decision. The choice is to continue along the familiar rut of wishful thinking and ingenious avoidance tactics or to honor the promises we have made to ourselves. The smart course of action is to unplug, disable notifications, silence your phone, dismiss the voices trying to distract you and write. Some writers create a ritual to set the mood. They light a candle, put on their fuzzy slipper socks, pour a hot cup of coffee, lock the door, and discover the words to convey our grand tale.

What are your writing rituals?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

So far this year, I have struggled to locate my desk and fought for time to write. The universe laughs at my measly plans and throws one obstacle after another at me to test my resolve. But those challenges won’t deter me, and I will keep my dreams alive. I discover precious minutes lumped in tiny pockets, a random chair, and realized my writing session is now.

Balancing my laptop on my knees or using the notes app on my phone, I ignore distractions and set work. My surroundings fade from my field of vision, I concentrate on my screen, and I hear the story in my head and hurry to transcribe every word. I work frantically until my window of opportunity expires.

Waiting for my muse to arrive proves to be a luxury I can’t afford, yet I still create inspiration from the chaos raging around me. I scrape together fragments of discipline and compose despite the circumstances. It does not matter if my writing is good. I have done my best to meet my daily obligation and the promise I made to myself.

How do you overcome your writing obstacles?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

They are fleeting moments. The planets are aligned, the house is quiet, my fingers fly, and I channel a brilliance that transcends what meager skills I possess. I am convinced I am a genius. The great American novel is within my grasp. Eat your heart out J. K. Rowling, move over Hemmingway. F. Scott, please be a dear and fetch me a glass of champagne. Tickled pink, full of myself, I shut my laptop and pour giddy little me into bed where I dream of red carpets and accolades. Oh, my, is that a Nobel Prize?

The next morning, I float on a silver-lined cloud to my desk, smiling as I open the file and read.

“Wait, what is this?”

Disbelief morphs into frantic desperation as I check time stamps and backups, searching in vain for the scintillating words written mere hours ago.

“Who wrote this crap?” I scream.

A soft chuckle mocks me, and I groan. I know the answer. This crap belongs to me.

I could be steps away from throwing in the towel, giving up, succumbing to the fear gnawing at the edges of my resolve, and hitting the delete key. My gut says this isn’t my ending, only my beginning.

Revisions promise to be grueling, requiring countless hours, working day-in and day-out, climbing my thankless mountain. I have a responsibility to honor my burning desire and the stories the cosmos planted in my soul. They give me purpose, passion, and drive. They make me different. I renew my vow to out-last the lucky and out-work the lazy.

What dreams inspire your writing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

I keep hearing we should push past our limits, work harder, longer, smarter. Put in more, add extra effort, kill it at your day job, dedicate hours to your passion project, steal downtime minutes to double down on the side hustle while you somehow juggle a personal existence, me-time, and work-life balance. Phew.

The entire mess leaves me feeling apprehensive, frustrated, and exhausted. I have pushed myself to do my best, do it all, and move outside my comfort zone. The result is I became more stressed and more anxious. My productivity fell, my enthusiasm evaporated, and I was irritable and angry. Pushing beyond my limitations drove me straight to burnout. And to what end?

Limits exist for a reason. They protect us from unrealistic ambition, work overload, and total shutdown. No matter how many times they say it, you can’t give 110% for days and weeks or years. Learning, truly mastering your subject, requires immersion, hands-on commitment, and space to appreciate the excitement for your dream.

Let me escape the programmed fate of some device-driven, optimized, maxed-out hustling, and artificially balanced being. Yes, sign me up for waking when I am rested, for rediscovering the joy of internalizing knowledge, for attaining the goals that resonate with my soul, and for connecting with friends who help me see the best parts of being human.

Have you gone too far?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

New Year, new goals, feeling invincible, wanting to erase past hardships, and replace them with better expectations can lead to an overloaded schedule. My calendar confirms the legitimacy of that claim. I am exhausted from reviewing my commitments. There are lingering projects I am determined to place in the finished column. The siren call of exciting adventures begs me to commit and start the journey. Other factors make me pause. There is the day job, family responsibilities, household chores, grocery shopping, exercise routines, and snow shoveling competing for my limited time. I need a nap.

Even with added responsibilities and heightened expectations, I included a few more items to my daily program. I am taking care of myself to keep my energy at optimum levels. The recipe calls for rigorous adherence to getting enough sleep. I wasn’t kidding about the nap. They say the best results are relaxing for 10 to 30 minutes between 2 and 3 pm.

I have committed to observing my water intake, ensuring I am well hydrated. Monitoring alcohol consumption is another priority, as it can contribute to dehydration and feeling tired. I know it is easier said than done since taking care of yourself can seem self-indulgent. I have long maintained how important it is to take care of yourself if you want to operate at optimal levels. You help others best when you are healthy and well-rested. The last thing I am adding is a recommitment to my yoga practice as it helps me remain centered and calm when confronting stress. But first — that nap.

How do you take care of yourself?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer