For the last couple of months, I’ve been writing and releasing a series called Purpose 101. The intent is to articulate some of the foundations of my coaching philosophy: especially purpose, genius, leadership, personal transformation, and social change.
But for the last several weeks, I’ve been experiencing some pretty gnarly writer’s block. And I’ve felt conflicted about how to orient to it.
On one hand, I’m a big proponent of Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art mentality: my main job is to show up each day and put in the time. Whether I come up with anything usable is not really up to me. I am committed to showing up and putting in the time, even when – perhaps especially when – the words are not coming to me as I might want. I believe that when I demonstrate this kind of devotion to my practice, the universe will eventually offer me what I’m looking for.
But there’s also a way in which I’ve just been bashing my head against the wall, doing the same thing over and over and expecting new results. I sense there’s something that needs to shift before the words will start flowing again.
I notice that I’ve become pretty anxious about when I finally publish these articles. In my mind, I should be posting something once a week. That way, I’d offer you a sense of consistency and make sure you stay tuned in to what I’m creating. I notice that I’m often worrying about this as I’m trying to write, to the extent that it’s actually become a significant barrier to good work. In fact, as the writer’s block stretches on, the worry just grows and grows.
Something clicked this week: Maybe the muses resent my agenda and rigid schedule. Maybe the writing will come only once I let it come on its own schedule.
So here’s my new commitment: I am going to keep writing my Purpose 101 articles, at least 30 minutes every workday. But I am going to finish and publish them whenever they are ready without any kind of schedule or agenda in mind. It might be in a couple days. It might be in a year. I formally absolve myself of any responsibility to stick to a publishing schedule.
Are you stuck somewhere in your life? What added devotion might you offer to the universe? Where might you release yourself from unnecessary rigidity?
