Feeling blocked? Try this.

Hello writer friends! I took a wee break for a vacation that was so jam-packed I didn’t have time to do all the deep thinking I wanted to do. Which actually turned out to be beneficial, because I came back more motivated to do the deep thinking.

Here are some of the things I’m swimming in:

1) I’m 90% sure I’m going to move this newsletter to Substack. I’m in the process of learning how it works as well as articulating who it’s for and what the benefits are to readers (note: it’s exactly the same process as working on a book: who are you writing for and what is the transformation for your readers?) I’ll keep you posted on if/when that move happens — so you have the opportunity to come with me or opt out. But if you want to watch how I iterate this sh*t out between now and [aiming for fall], you can find me at amygoldmacher.substack.com.

2) I was/am pretty sure I want to write about hypervigilance, but I’m struggling with who I’m writing for and what is the transformation for readers. Still working on that and trying not to let the lack of clarity on that derail me.

Do you get derailed? Or paralyzed? My brilliant friend and former colleague Joe Elmendorf has a newsletter on how to figure sh*t out through visualization (e.g., drawing, mapping, etc.) Recently, he described a situation where he was

actively avoiding that very task I'd been excited about. When I finally confronted this contradiction, I recognized fear at its source:

I was scared that when I finally tried to express the idea, I'd discover I didn't have what it takes. So I kept postponing the moment of truth.

OMG. That’s exactly what I’m feeling. That’s my blocker. Fear that I’m not good enough to write this thing I want to write.

Ok, so now that I know the problem, what’s the solution? I ask myself: is this objectively true?

Probably not. I’ve written/published many things. There is proof that I can write.

Also, I won’t know until I try to write this thing. It will take many tries and revisions because that’s the nature of writing — nothing springs forth fully formed — and that’s uncomfortable but that’s the process to get from raw words on the page to a polished, publishable draft.

What’s more, if I asked someone else if I am good enough to write this thing, they would say yes, you are.

Joe concludes his newsletters with quick exercises, and I’m including his most recent one because I find it so helpful:

Try this in less than 10 minutes:

Think about a story you tell yourself, a limiting belief that keeps you from acting.

1. Write down your limiting belief using a pen and a piece of paper.
Take the time to write neatly, not because your handwriting matters, but because writing it out is a small act of meditation.

2. Find a trusted friend that you can share this limiting belief with.
This needs to be a safe person. It can be a colleague, a partner, a mentor…so long as they are also a friend.

3. Share this limiting belief with them and talk about the effect it has on you.
Start with, “I have this limiting belief, ________, and it’s keeping me from doing ______.”

4. Receive what they have to say.

What did you learn? You don’t need to keep everything that is shared back with you. What helpful parts will you keep? What unhelpful parts will you let go of? Being able to do both are equally important.

Speaking of taking time to devote to your writing, don’t forget that you can still spend a week crossing the Atlantic on an ocean liner with me by your side to coach you on your writing project. September isn’t that far away.