Just write.

 

Achieve. Avoid. Preserve. 

What is typically framed as an exercise for leadership teams, Amber and I converted the exercise into a conversation for the future of our family. In three years, if everything went according to our ideals, what would we want to have achieved, avoided, and preserved? 

One of the things I want to "achieve" (I really bristle at that word, I must say!) is to develop a consistent writing habit. For whom? For myself. For my God. 

I read a good encouragement today on the subject of writing. In it, the author suggested that we heap unfair expectations upon aspiring writers. Publishing, contracts, audience, success, book deals, clicks, shares, etc. But for an aspiring runner training for their first 5K, do we presume they should win or ink a deal with a sponsor? Of course not! So, for the runner who wakes up wanting to run - they should run. For the writer who wakes up wanting to write - they should write. 

Just write. 

I tend to like that advice. I've placed undue pressure upon myself. As one who has both desired to hone his craft of writing, and as one who has also received encouragement in the writing vocation, I still resist. I find excuses. I get distracted. I give in to shame and fear and guilt. 

You never grow in your writing craft if you don't write. You never grow a tomato if you don't take the risk of planting a seed (or a seedling). 

Let this be a declaration that I want to - I need to - continue to write. I don't have to have an audience. I don't have to have 100K followers on Instagram or Twitter. I don't have to ink a book deal. It's what my wanter wants, as they say. 

I just need to write. 

(HT to Ben Sternke and Gravity Leadership for the leadership exercise)