How to Write No Matter What
Do the thing
New York was quite an experience.
It sure taught me a lot. For one, despite my hopes that it would be my true place, my true calling, it was actually just Portland cubed. (A.k.a., not that exciting.) Turns out, Manhattan is filled to the brim with people, teeming with life and languages. I much rather prefer Paris.
But other than that, New York taught me that I can definitely work in any setting, as long as I plug in and keep my head down for a discernible amount of time. The problem with our week-long NY trip was just that — it was a week long. No time to develop a habit, a routine. Because of that, my writing took the hit.
Now, this isn’t to say I didn’t write at all. I finished one and a half of my short stories, which isn’t far off from my goal of 2 completed rough draft stories. But you could tell, I left a few thousand words on the table.
And you know what? That’s okay. Failure is part of the process; in fact, calling it what it is — a failure — is also part of the process. I failed. I move on.
So where do I go from here?
I move on. Thirteen days from now, as of this writing, I will be headed to my new home of Cape Town, South Africa. Here, I will have plenty of time to create the lifestyle I’ve always dreamed of, which includes writing, uninterrupted, for three to four hours every day. That means more Medium content, more creative output for my novel’s rough draft (and eventual editing.)
New York didn’t allow for such a defined work-life balance. The split heavily favored the “life” bit, because we had so much to see on the island in the span of 8 days. (Central Park took up a full two days combined, and we still didn’t see it all.)
South Africa for 84 days will be a tad different. I will make a life out of it, one where I can hopefully come back stateside and work just as efficiently. Establishing good habits from a fresh slate is the opportunity I am presented with. I’ll forever be grateful for that.
Do what you love. No matter what.
When your days are numbered, which they are from birth, you’ve got to make them count. At least on those days in New York when I didn’t get a lot of writing accomplished, I was still living life to the fullest. I boxed, I did hot yoga, I did calisthenics in the park. I ate wonderful food, witnessed the city’s beauty, and took hundreds of photos. I was doing what I loved: Exploring new things, new perspectives. Spending time with the woman I love.
I can’t ask for much more than that.
There will be days where you feel discouraged, where you get the notion that you wasted a day. But look at the positive things you might have done that day. You may have missed your daily goal, but did you go outside your comfort zone, try something new? Did you introduce yourself to someone? Did you spend your time wisely in other areas, go for a walk, eat healthy?
There are many ways you can succeed in a day.
Don’t ever put yourself down because you didn’t do your thing, because you failed. Life moves on, and you should to. Dust yourself off, and next day do your thang.
I missed some days, but I write no matter what. It might not be every day, but I always come back to it. If it’s your calling, your passion, it will come to reel you back in. And that’s what I love about knowing my calling in life. It’ll always be there to save me.
Once you know your calling, your passion, you will feel this too. And I really hope you do. It is euphoric to know what you’re meant for, to recognize your worth in this world and capitalizing on the opportunity. Incredibly exciting.
That should be what life’s about, right?
Jacob Lyda is a man on a mission…he just happens to change that mission constantly. He is currently writing a novel/short story collection and will — most likely — be documenting his journey of writing on Medium. Follow him at your own risk.
