For the last week as I avoided doing my writing in favor of all the other things I had going on (moving, unpacking, client work, etc), the inner demons had started to take over. You know exactly what I’m talking about.
The inner voice that tells you you’re not good enough. The one that says you can’t do this and shouldn’t even bother trying. The fear and the doubt and the negativity. The excuses. The BS nonsense.
THOSE inner demons, the ones that so often stop you or get in the way of you doing your writing.
The ones that I usually keep at bay by doing one simple thing: writing every day.
It’s funny to think that these inner demons actually STOP writers from writing. And the reason it’s funny is because to shut those demons up, all you have to do is write. Just sit your ass in a chair and do the writing.
When you do that, the demons are silenced. At least for that day.
Yeah, they will likely come back tomorrow. Battling with the inner demons that try to stop you from doing the work and being the writer and author you want to be is a daily hurdle. It’s just a part of the creative process.
But you can shut the demons up by sitting down and writing anyhow.
I know it’s hard. It really is. Because those inner voices and doubt and fear are a tough battle to fight. They’re constantly there–especially when you’re NOT doing your writing. (In fact, when you’re not doing your writing, they become stronger and gain strength the more you don’t write.)
And it scares you. It makes you not want to do your writing. It stops you.
But if you just sat down anyhow and put words on the page, you’d be amazed how quiet those demons get. Maybe not right away, but eventually. As you keep going.
That was the thing I discovered last night, as I laid down in bed to go to sleep and did a quick review of my day, which I do in my journal pretty much every night. As I wrote out the things that happened in my day that were awesome and that I was proud of, I realized I did my writing. I got it done.
And I not only wrote my blog post, but I also worked on the story plan for my screenplay AND I got started on my new eBook. I did good.
That’s when I noticed that the inner demons were silent. They weren’t popping up telling me I sucked or that I wasn’t a good writer or that I was wasting my time and shouldn’t bother. They didn’t stop me. And they weren’t really bugging me in that moment either.
I silenced them by doing the one thing they don’t want me to do… write.
By sitting down and doing my writing anyhow, even with all the noise and BS and demons in my head, I won. At least for the day.
As I sit here writing this, the demons are still at bay. And they will continue to be there, but I will continue to silence them by showing up and doing the writing.
When you do that every single day, that’s when you build up momentum that will shut those demons down, that will stop them in their tracks. BEFORE they’ve had a chance to dig into you and get in your way and stop you.
And that momentum, when built up enough, will give you back control of your mental space.
BUT if you’re currently listening to those demons–those negative, limiting, annoying voices that tell you you’re not good enough and you shouldn’t be writing and who are you to think you can write, etc–and if you’re allowing those demons to stop you or be the reason why you don’t write on a regular, consistent basis, it’s time to give them up.
And you give them up, by doing the writing.
How do you defeat a dragon? Not by avoiding it. Sure, that may keep it away from you for a little while, but it’s not gone. There’s only one way to make it GONE.
By killing it. By showing up to battle, sword in-hand, and fighting it ’til there’s no breath left in its body.
Same goes for your writing demons.
How do you defeat those voices that plague you? That are constantly there, telling you that you suck and aren’t a good writer and shouldn’t waste your time? Simple.
You show up to the page. Every day. Pen-in-hand (or laptop, as it may be). And you put words on the page.
Even when you don’t want to. Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when you have nothing to say.
By doing that–by showing up anyhow and getting the words down–you will defeat those inner demons. You will conquer them. You will wrestle them to the ground and YOU WILL WIN.
But you’ve gotta commit to showing up daily and doing the work. Otherwise those demons will continue to get the best of you and you will continue to not get your writing done and not make the progress you want to make.
The win is in the words being down on the page.
And WINNING and doing the work and being consistent and making real progress every day comes down to two very simple things… your writing habits and the discipline you’ve created around them.
Habits are the thing that will support you in achieving your writing goals, and discipline will ensure you continue to make progress and achieve.
Creating habits in my writing life and then being disciplined enough to sit down every day and write is the thing that finally helped my writing life take off. It’s the thing that allowed me the freedom to take on as much as I take on and to create as much as I create.
It’s the thing that gave me the writing career I’ve always wanted and growing every day.
Habits and discipline are SO important I’ve decided to help YOU create them for yourself… by giving you an INSANE discount on one of my best programs: the Writing Life Rehab Masterclass.
The investment for this life-changing class was $97 when I ran it live. BUT for the next 48 HOURS ONLY, you can grab the recording for only $7. That’s 92% OFF the original price!!
But hurry!! This flash sale ENDS Friday August 18 at Noon CDT.
>> Details and sign up here: www.jenniferblanchard.net/writingliferehab
The things I’m teaching you in this badass masterclass will change your writing life FOREVER and this is something you can use over and over again, whenever you find yourself falling off track in your writing life.
Dream life or bust,
#DreamLifeOrBust #DailyThinkDifferent
