Sometimes, you just don’t have it in you to write another word. I started writing (for work) this morning at 7 a.m.; I wanted to prep for meetings this afternoon. The meetings went well, but I was mentally exhausted at the end of the day. I thought I’d chill out for a bit, make dinner, and get back to work. I’ve been trying to do that — I have a big blog post that I’ve been planning and that I’m really excited about. I have a few other ideas for posts that I definitely want to get up by the end of the month. And, even though part of the point of Blog Like Crazy is to lower my own expectations for how perfect a blog has to be, I still want to make each blog the best it can be.
Tonight, though, I’ve been drawn to everything but writing. I’ve managed to avoid my usual time-wasting traps (like Netflix), but every time I’ve sat down at my computer, the words haven’t come. My brain is just tired.
So I’m going to walk away without a great post today. I’m going to go to sleep and try again tomorrow. Because here’s the thing — sometimes pushing yourself is the right thing, but it isn’t always the right thing. Sometimes forcing the words onto the page needs to be done, but I’ve learned that it’s not healthy to live your entire life in a state of deadline. It’s true that stress can create the pressure that leads to great work … but it’s also true that it can give you panic attacks.
Being a writer, for me, means sometimes having to give up for the day and take a break. That doesn’t mean I miss deadlines; I don’t. It doesn’t mean I give up when something’s really important or someone’s depending on me. But on days like today, when the stakes are low and “good enough” is going to please everyone but me, I’m trying to learn to know when to quit.