Several years ago I sustained a very painful injury to my shoulder and my knee while working a physically demanding job. Both required special treatments and therapies—and far more visits to the doctor than I cared for. For the first year I couldn’t bear any weight on my knee for any length of time and I had next to no range of motion in my shoulder.
My first inclination was to push through the pain and try to force my body to return to its former condition. Every pressed attempt only set my recovery backwards, and there were days I couldn’t engage in any kind of activity. I could barely breathe, let alone write.
Impatience turned into frustration and isolation, which in turn led to depression. To say it was a dark season of life is an understatement.
It took me a while to realize that slow progress was better than no progress. Once I learned that lesson, things began to change.
I’ve found the same can be true of writing. Sometimes we’re obsessed and all we want to do is write. We have grand visions and expectations of what the writer’s life looks like. Then comes a lull, a rejection, or a family emergency that leaves us reeling. Next thing we know, weeks have gone by without us doing more than chastise ourselves for not being the writer we thought we were.
At one time I thought my trouble was inconstancy. I’ve since learned it’s impatience. Writing, like any other process, takes time. Time we don’t always want to take. We want to see results for our efforts, not more delays.
That desire in itself isn’t wrong or bad, but if not checked, it can be harmful. If you want to succeed as a writer, you’ll need two things: Patience and Persistence.
It’s been years since I first injured myself. To this day I still struggle with some pain and limitations. I probably always will. But, in learning my physical limits, I’ve also discovered my strengths.
If I’m going to finish strong, I have to be patient as well as persistent. In order to be persistent I need to set realistic expectations for myself. Just as I had to start slow and take small, deliberate steps after my injury, I need to do the same with my writing.
Once the initial steps are mastered, then we can go to work on increasing our stride.
Wherever you on are on this writing journey of yours, the next time you get discouraged and want to quit, I hope you remember the only way to reach your destination is one step at a time.
If you need to, don’t be afraid to reach out for a helping hand.
Add a few drops of your own: We all face dry seasons in our writing, but it helps to know we don’t experience them alone. Share your word of encouragement for a writer who’s struggling through a dry season in the comments below.