Every time I’m inspired to take on a writing project, be it write x amount of words a day/pitch x publications a day/write every single day, especially that last one, I talk myself out of it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done those things, at different times, for extended periods of time too, based on what I had to do or wanted to achieve. I’ve regularly relied on the permanence and continuity of numbers and crossing things off my to-do list to GSD.

I’m proud I’ve built a regular exercise routine, made waking up early a habit, as well as getting enough rest, and peut-être the best thing I’ve ever done for myself: keeping up a daily meditation practice.

Photo by Peter Hershey

I’ve written a bunch about meditation and its benefits (73.2% of the writing community be like), but a piece on meditation misconceptions is the only one that can be found on the interwebs. Only partly my fault, but I’ll make up for it sooner rather than later.

If you’re not familiar with or sold on meditation *yet*, this piece by Mark Manson is simple, concise and will make you want to at least give it a try.

I did and it changed my life, or if that’s too woo-woo for you, it ~positively affected~ my life.

Enough strangers I find trustworthy, esp Austin Kleon- recently discovered and I’m completely IN LOVE with his work already- have me believing writing (and publishing) every day will positively affect my life. This is from Something small, every day:

Every day, no matter what, I make a poem and post it online. Most days they’re mediocre, some days they’re great, and some days they’re awful. (Jerry Garcia: “You go diving for pearls every night but sometimes you end up with clams.”) But it doesn’t matter to me whether the day’s poem was good or not, what matters is that it got done. I did the work. I didn’t break the chain. If I have a shitty day, I go to sleep and know that tomorrow I get to take another whack at it.

What matters is that it got done. I’ve probably mentioned Facebook’s done is better than perfect to everyone I’ve ever met, yet as any creative, I struggle with applying the concept, even though on paper it sounds like #wordstoliveby.

I posted this a few months ago, captioned it with practicing non-attachment, but I can’t say I’m not feeling proud. Insight Timer is my practice facilitator. I’m not saying this is the easy way out, but I’d be lying if I said accountability and being notified of new milestones, and stars (that come in different colors!!!), hasn’t been tremendously helpful and motivating. Why would I want to break that streak?! Non-attachment who?

So that’s the plan, tricking my mind the same way about writing for the world, every day. Day 1: check ✓

P.S. I started writing a post scriptum, it started with When I said I talk myself out of it, I meant it, but it became too long for a P.S. so I’ll be making a separate post. Not considered cheating, right?