What I realized at a family wedding...

Recently, at a family wedding, I got to see people I’ve known for decades but haven’t talked to in years. So many of us keep in touch via Instagram that it’s hard to know what to “update” each other about. I spent a lot of the cocktail hour catching up with friends-of-the-family about my business and my novel. 

When asked about my novel or how my writing was going, I’d say “I’m revising,” and then hold my breath, waiting for someone to ask/accuse me: “Still??”

But no one did. 

And I realized, no one else is keeping track. No one else is keeping score.

Or if they were, they weren’t telling me. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been putting such pressure on myself to get this novel “right” and “done” and “published.” And unsurprisingly, the harder I pressure myself, the more stuck I get. 

Why do I do this? Why do we? I think a lot of it comes from the way society is set up with deadlines and social / corporate ladder climbing. But a lot of it comes from the insecure parts of us whispering, wondering “what if I can’t do it? What if I’m not good enough?”

I’m here to tell you that those thoughts are unfounded. No one else is keeping track of you, and you are doing just enough and all you should and could be doing. 

So let’s keep working to get unstuck. Let go of those words that hold you back, because we are overcoming obstacles, here!