When I have nothing to write about, I challenge myself to write as little as possible while still adding value.
It’s a trick I use to get started.
But, it isn’t really a trick—it’s the goal.
And I oftentimes have to remind myself of it.
Because there have been plenty of days when I’ve spent hours crafting these 1-minute messages… days when I’ve gotten a ton of great feedback on a piece… days when I was feeling myself and wrote something that felt so good it surprised even me… that could each easily contribute to making that new day’s writing task feel that much harder.
…All caused, at its root, by comparison.
When I’m pressuring myself to create something that compares to some of my best pieces… that have garnered some of my best known results… of course the starting from scratch feels harder.
…But, when I drop the comparisons and remind myself what the goal is—to show up and add a little value (both to myself and others), starting suddenly feels a helluva lot easier.
Which is as true for exercising, reading, meditating, working, creating, etc.—as it is for writing.