Today I realized I stumbled upon my first writer's block and I didn't expect to get it this early on in the game, but I think we should talk about it.
As I was rummaging through my drafts to pick a topic to write on, I realized something I've been feeling for a few days now, which is the lack of will, creativity, and interest in topics I've already laid out for myself. Let me try to elaborate on it more.
Why I think that is
The past few weeks have not been the smoothest for me. Some things in my personal life have taken an unpredicted turn and these changes have shown to be quite stressful, which may or may not involve some more moving. Over this same period, I've been doing at least one interview a week and although they only last thirty minutes to an hour, there are a few extra prep hours we don't usually account for. This can include research and preparation, which involves formulating questions, basing them on a good source related to the position or the company, trying to find as much as I can about the interviewer on Linkedin beforehand, getting ready, and pep talking myself up to a good and somewhat formal mood.
Most of the house chores still fall on my back, as much as my partner makes sure he contributes where and when he can. He works in person in a nearby town and I stay at home all day every day so I naturally take on a bit more.
I can get overwhelmed thinking there is so much I could be doing whether that is in the house, the blog, my work or even being more present with my family.
I've been spending more time than ever studying SEO, advertising principles, getting certifications, and learning how to get better at Pinterest, learning about keyword research, and how to better rank on Google.
I still got my mind set on developing my service-providing business and I'm still making efforts towards that, with a huge recent breakthrough I will talk about soon enough.
On top of all that, I try to make a point to have at least one week of posts ready and scheduled to go, so I have more time to find inspiration later on. Apparently, that has not been working out so well, has it? So I need to think about a strategy to make this work better, maybe have a routine of getting posts out, even if I don't like it when I start writing.
I also want this blog to become a business eventually, and as much as I like this perspective, work is still work. What I mean is that I still need to implement discipline and energy into something I love the outcome of, but maybe lack the motivation to start the small tasks.
Can you see how all of this is overwhelming?
Naturally, when it all seems a bit much, I tend to shut down. I began avoiding developing the drafts, telling myself I was not in the mood, this is not supposed to be stressful, I had too much on my plate, etc... I got blocked.
What I chose to do with this writer's block
Instead of spending another day dwelling in my own mind on whether or not I'll be able to get a post done and building up the guilt, I decided to write about it. Get it out of me and for the internet to see. Share my struggles, even the little ones, and keep this boat going. And you know what? That makes me proud of myself.
So yeah, a little self-analysis on my first writer's block and how I'm dealing with it. Hope you can relate! But tell me, how do you deal with yours when it happens?
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