Posted on by Christi

Changing Focus from Why I Can’t to Why I Can

IMG_1423 - Version 2I’m back working at the regular day job as of Tuesday, and I should have taken a picture of how my last day of summer vacation began: a pile of laundry the size of Texas; a to-do list dressed up with a post-it marked up with more to-do’s; and a couple of wheezing kids (mean ol’e late-summer allergies).

But really, this whole day-before-work-begins-again-how-will-I-get-it-all-done (!) frenzy/panic didn’t come out of nowhere. I’d been grooming myself into such a state for weeks. Every time I opened my notebook and wrote for a page or two, I fed the beast.

Monday. Busy. Work, Drs. appts, gymnastics, people for dinner.
Wednesday. Gymnastics. B-U-S-Y. Want a nap.
So much to do, hardly have any time.
Hurried
Rushed
anxious about money
distracted
too busy
feel like I’m procrastinating
Saturday. Focus. I need some.

The gymnastics class was my daughter’s but the angst? All mine, and you can be certain that underneath all that journal-speak was the invariable complaint, “I never have time to write.”

This time of year (and any time of year), I could give you a thousand reasons why I can’t write, most have to do with time or energy or level of confidence. This week, though, I read an email from Notes from the Universe that redirected my thinking a bit:

What happens when someone worries? 

Basically, they think of 100 reasons why something might go wrong.

[or might not happen]

And all of those thoughts then struggle to become things, sometimes overriding their more constructive thoughts. . . . 

Have you sat down yet and listed 100 reasons why it… 

[like writing that novel]

…might come to you easily, fast, and harmoniously?

I think you should.

So, okay. I won’t flood you with 1oo reasons why I–or let’s say YOU–can write, but I’ll get the conversation rolling.

Because you want to.
Because that story idea hasn’t died off yet.
Because you’ve come too far in that draft to turn back now.
Because the other day you wrote for two hours and maybe finished two paragraphs, but they were really good paragraphs.
Because your kids believe you can.
Because your dad believes you can.
Because your kids are old enough to stay home alone for an hour or two.
And there’s a coffee shop nearby.
And you like coffee.

… Let’s hear your reasons why the writing is possible.

Need more pep talks? Check out Lisa Rivero’s “Get Serious About Writing: The Blog Series!”

* * *

I merely took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues.
~ Duke Ellington

9 Replies to “Changing Focus from Why I Can’t to Why I Can”

  1. Thanks for a very motivational post! I love that Duke Ellington quote, but had forgotten about it. Time to add it to the inspirational file.

    I hope you have your list of 100 . . . here’s one for my list:
    because I’m always amazed at what I can accomplish in twenty minutes.

    1. That’s a new favorite quote of mine, now 🙂
      And yes–great reminder!–I don’t need 8 hours in a day. I’ve gotten a ton done in a concentrated amount of time.

  2. This is great, Christi – and a great reminder on how to wrestle control back from anxiety and self-doubt, changing the focus from the CAN’T to the CAN. Being a pessimist by nature, I don’t automatically find the optimistic spin – sometimes someone needs to lead me by the nose. 🙂

    Thanks for the shift in perspective – and I’m wishing you good luck with the day job and your own can-do list.

  3. Oh, do I hear you, Christi! It sounds as though you had a fantastic summer. Let those memories fuel you for the days ahead.

    Why is the writing possible? Because I can’t imagine a life without it.

    Thank you for the blog series plug! 😀

  4. You forgot to add: because your friends believe (and KNOW) you can and because you are one hell of a writer and I look forward to each of your posts and the next chapter!

    And that reminds me that I have a blog that’s been neglected lately and I CAN write there because: it’s my release, my mom waits for the next post, and the GF readers are waiting for their next sweet fix.

    You can always count on the Universe to make you stop and think.
    (thoughts become things…so choose the good ones!)

    1. Good friends=happy writers. I love that your mom waits for your next post. Me, too, especially when it involves sweet treats!

  5. Pingback: Permission to Write | Christi Craig

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