The ONLY Reason to Skip Your Writing Session

 The Only Reason Not to Write

When we teach, we get to our classes unless there is a medical emergency, or a previously planned conference or such. We don’t say to ourselves, “I don’t feel like teaching today, I will move the class until later that day.” We also don’t just not show up and not let anyone know--that would be a big deal. Similarly, if someone emails us and asks us if we have a meeting, we won’t cancel the class for it. Unless someone is giving us a Nobel prize or something. 

So why do you do that with your writing sessions? I ask this almost rhetorically, but some of the possible answers suggest why you may be missing writing sessions.

1. You actually don’t have healthy, sustainable-length sessions but instead have a large block of time, so there is nothing really to change part of you knows sitting in your chair for hours is self-abusive, but I digress.

2. You are not accountable to anyone for it

3. Writing is important, but not urgent (usually)

4. You have more psychological baggage around writing (self downing, internalized expectations, anxieties) than teaching

5. You don’t have self-talk skills honed to help you keep your writing session.

This is why I tell clients there is only one reason to change a writing session: Blood. 

Blood.

Dog bleeding, child bleeding, you bleeding.

Blood.

I am only half joking. I am not telling how often you have to write (addressed elsewhere in this blog), but if your intention is to write at a given time, it would be wise to develop the same attitude toward your writing sessions that you have about teaching. If you have an emergency (blood) of course, you can reschedule it. However, we want to make writing sessions that we schedule non-negotiable. 

This does not mean that you don’t have compassion for yourself as you work toward being consistent and getting yourself to your writing sessions. Shame is a cause of our problems, not a solution. I am all for self acceptance and self love. What it does mean, however, is that you need to develop a constellation of skills and tools that help you get yourself to your healthy, sustainably, cognitively benign writing sessions. Habits, rituals, decisions on timing, accountability, self talk, working on our internal barriers, and other tools can help.

So, if there is no blood, you probably can have your writing session, even if it is for ten minutes, even if it sucks.