If you’ve read my book, The Busy Woman’s Guide to Writing a World-Changing Book, you’ll know about my concept of the Ardent Opportunist. This is the part of us that snatches writing time whenever we can. We don’t believe our minds that tell us we need an hour or a day or a week just to get anything done.
I’ve been getting more quickies in lately, and I’ve called it sneaking up on myself. I have been working on the podcast and on promoting my book and with my students in my workshops and the Atelier. It’s been a busy time! I do like having a lot of projects going but sometimes it can spin into a feeling of overwhelm.
So I’ve been sneaking up on myself. I have a few minutes and I look at my list. One day I had a bunch of new edits to make on the podcast. It meant turning on the mic and recording a few new bits. In my mind, I would need days to get the time and space to do that. But on a Monday morning, before I got together with my Atelier members, I just flicked on the mic and started.
It was easy. It took ten minutes. I sent the files over to Jason and it was done. No letting it sit on the list, taunting me. No letting it become something that I grew more and more fearful about.
I just snuck up on myself and did it. I admit, having the structure of the Atelier helped. On Mondays, we commit to what we will do for the week. So I kinda have to do it. No blowing it off.
Bypassing my thoughts about the process has made everything easier. Of course, we all have notions about the work. Perhaps we all entertain fears or grand dreams for the project. But what I have found to be helpful is to just do it. Sneak up on the task so thoughts can’t block your action.
Have you tried sneaking up on yourself to slip some writing in? Or do you let your mind tell you that you need all the right conditions to be able to write? Share your experience below.
I think I sneaked up on myself this morning at 5:30, in my secret darkness of the morning. I looked at the photo and the prompt and writual blessing. Then instead of pondering oh what will I write, I wrote from the first impression I had of the stacked logs. And I sneaked up on some old memories that I’d thought were put to rest years, centuries ago. They had much to teach me, turns out. When I feel sneaky it’s usually accompanied by my sneaky intuition. And I do the right thing, or write exactly what needs and wants to be written.
I got to the end of 45 min of freewriting and remembered Neil Gaiman’s words about that moment when you’re walking down the street feeling naked… And knew I was ready to do that walk. Starting with a big bowl of gratitude to you, Cynthia Morris. Your spirit is and has been keeping me in the game for longer than you know.
I am so glad that writing is a steady companion for you, Dana. You are always ready and willing to show up for your words. You are inspiring!