Overcome Writer’s Block And More!

I have writers block…  You know… that thing that prevents you from thinking properly and writing down stuff?  Well, I have that right now.  Seriously.  I just spent the last 20 minutes looking for something to write about and nothing jumped out at me.

Has this ever happened to you?

I did all the suggested things like look at different articles, go to different websites, get up and get a drink.  None of it worked.  And the silly thing is that I know I’ve got a ton of information to share and write about.

Alas… that’s the challenge with writer’s block.  It makes you think that you’ve got nothing.

The truth though is that we’re all full of it…  well… that didn’t sound very good didn’t it.  What I mean to say is that we’re all full of ideas.  We’re full of powerful thoughts, stories, and concepts we can share to other people.

The trick of course is just getting that information out.

So since I was stuck with writers block, I thought I’d write about writers block since that’s the thing that was on my mind.

And you know what?  I’m writing just fine.  Guess I’m over my writer’s block.  Or am I?

Ask Google what is writer’s block and it returns, “the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing.”

Seems like a pretty good definition.

The challenge of course is how to overcome writer’s block.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

That’s the million dollar question that writer’s around the world ask all the time.

To answer that question though you’ve first got to understand what causes writer’s block.

Now do a quick search online and it brings back a slew of answers.  Answers which include, lack of motivation, lack of inspiration, too many choices, failure, rejection, and of course fear.

Now some people might be thinking, “Fear?  No, that’s not it.  I just can’t think right now.”

Dig deeper though and you’ll find out that the reason you can’t think is probably because you’re afraid.

Afraid of rejection, failure, writing something bad, fear of sounding ignorant, silly, simple.  It could be you’re a perfectionist and you’re not thinking perfectly right now.  Or it could simply be that you’ve just got too much on your mind right now and can’t formulate a coherent thought.

Whatever it is, you can’t write.

So what do you do?

Go online and search for some answers and you’ll find some suggestions like

• Move your body
• Eliminate Distractions
• Talk to Someone
• Read something
• Get a drink
• Go somewhere else
• And a lot more.

Personally, I found that the simplest way to overcome writer’s block is also the simplest way to address fear.

And what’s that you might ask?

Yes, that’s to feel it and do it anyway.

The best way to overcome writer’s block is to yes, sit down and just write.

Now you might be going, “huh?  That doesn’t make sense.”

Well, yes it does.

See, the reason you can’t write is because you’re not writing.  So just sit down and start writing.

It’s a little thing us writers call freewriting.

Just write whatever comes to mind.

Good, bad, or indifferent, it doesn’t matter.  What matters is that you just start writing.

It might be the worst thing you’ve ever written.  Or, it could just be the best.  You never know and you’ve just got to start writing.  Kind of like I did here with this message.

Now you might have gotten some ideas from it or you might just have thought it was horrible.

Either way, I was stuck and now over 600 words later, I’m still writing, so obviously it worked.

As I said, it’s the same way to address your fears.

Feel it, recognize it, and then do it anyway.  In fact, Susan Jeffreys wrote and entire book about it called… yup, you guessed it… Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway.

Listen, whatever’s stopping you – whether it’s writer’s block or some other fear – avoidance won’t help you overcome it.  The best way to get over something is to understand it… and then address it.

I talk to a lot of entrepreneurs and small business owners.  And being your own boss is both a blessing and a curse.  It’s a blessing because you control your own schedule.  It’s a curse because if you don’t get stuff done, no one is going to look over your shoulder and tell you to get it done.

So as a business owner, it’s critical that you get things done.

As a side note, a great resource to help you along with getting things done is the book by David Allen called Getting Things Done.

Anyway, if you find yourself struggling throughout the day, not able to get focused and get through your tasks, the best thing to do is understand why you’re struggling.  Analyze, assess, and then address.

It could be writer’s block, fear, procrastination, all of the above.  And once you understand it, you can get through it.

And hey, if you haven’t read it yet, pick up a copy of Brian Tracy’s Eat That Frog which will help you overcome the big projects in your life and overcome procrastination.

Don’t let writer’s block or anything else stop you from doing what needs to be done.

Understand what drives you, motivates you, and gets you going and then do what you need to do.  That’s what successful people do.  They forge ahead despite their fears and challenges.

Hey, if you’re ready for greater successes, then now is the time for understanding.  Understanding of yourself and what makes you tick.

Stay tuned for a future message on how to program yourself for greater success.

Man, the writer’s block is gone and the ideas are flowing now.

I’m going to get started writing that next message now, so until then…

Celebrate Life!
Chaffee-Thanh Nguyen

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Your Executive Business And Success Coach
Let Me Help You SYSTEMize Your Business And Master Your Mind
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