All the writing gurus say when you’re stuck… start writing.
Sure, but that’s why I’m stuck—I don’t know what to write! —how can I start!? The muse took a day off. Or in my case, she took three.
They say it’s all about motion. Or putting your butt in the seat. Or staring at the screen until you give in to resistance and defer to watching cat videos.
Motivation follows action.
At least that’s how the wisdom has it. If you wait for motivation to show up, you’re likely in for a long wait. Hey, I learned that in a time management workshop that my boss at Raytheon sent me to. I think it was more to get me out of the office for three days.
PRODUCTIVITY HACK: Don’t waste three days in a seminar on time management if you want to get more done.
All jesting aside, contemporary wisdom seems to have this one right.
Sometimes when you’re stuck, the stuckness is caused by waiting.
Here’s a question for you. When you’re waiting until you’re in the mood (not that mood), or until you feel like it… how long does it take for the mood to strike? Ten minutes? An hour? Three days?
Never?
Exactly.
So, this story needs a villain, and that villain is human nature.
The more I learn about human nature, the less faith I have in humans (yes, including me). And you don’t have to search for long to discover that sitting and waiting is, indeed, hard-wired into our collective nature.
We wait for gas prices to come down. And we wait for better weather. Then we wait for our boss to become a better human. And we wait for motivation and inspiration. Because we all know that when we wait, things get better. Hmmm. See! Human nature.
But what if I AM taking action AND I’m STILL NOT getting anywhere?
What then? Do I just keep going?
Well that’s what I did this past Thursday. I kept slogging away. I kept tapping the keys, until… still no results.
Human nature had shown up in a different color.
“This isn’t working, dammit. There’s a gaping hole… it’s just not coming together.” Good thing you can’t rip the sheet out of a laptop, crumple it up, and trash-can it!
I was stuck… for two whole days.
So, what do you do when you’re stuck AND you’re taking action?
WARNING: The answer to this question is as simple as the answer to the first.
Ready? Okay.
Bear in mind, just because something is ridiculously simple, it doesn’t mean it won’t work. So here goes…
When you’re stuck, and you’re taking action and progress is still eluding you—TAKE-DIFFERENT-ACTION!
This is the simple remedy to the definition of insanity… “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
So, when you’re stuck and you’re waiting for that motivation that’s just not coming—TAKE ACTION! And when you’re taking action and it’s still not coming together—Take DIFFERENT ACTION!
Be untucked.
p.s. Know someone who might like this post? Maybe forward it or share it on your favorite social media platform. Thanks…
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