You’re Halfway Done Once You’ve Spilled the First Droplets of Ink on the Page
Getting started is always the hardest part
For college writing assignments, I used to joke with friends that I was halfway done once I had written my name at the top of the page. Once I had spilled the initial droplets of ink, my forward momentum kept me going.
I used to think that was a joke, but it’s turned out to be more true than I realized.
Recently, I’ve noticed that my Medium articles are seemingly halfway done once I’ve clicked the “New Story” button and begun plunking the keys to write my headline and subtitle. Once I’ve worked up the courage to get that far, momentum has begun to work in my favor. The snowball is rolling downhill.
Here are four reasons why it’s best to just begin typing:
1. Waiting for inspiration is the wrong move
“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot, but make it hot by striking.” -Attributed to William Butler Yeats
Inspiration sometimes strikes, but it’s a fickle mistress. If I were to wait to write until I felt inspired, I’d only end up writing once every week or two — and likely only for thirty minutes at a time. That’s about how long my “inspiration” sticks around…
