Ok, I am sure my titles are getting more pretentious!

The fact is though that a commitment like the one I have made to write a blog post for 31 days in a row is hard.

If I am honest almost every commitment I have made is hard – and that is why many times in the past I have failed at them…

Of course sometimes I have succeeded… and I am not sure if it is because I am getting older or whether it is because I have a better sense of my life’s passion, or whether it is something else entirely but I am finding my commitments are getting easier. If pushed I would say it is because I am getting fitter… and that improved physical well-being and not smoking just gives me much more energy and drive.

Today I was struggling really with what to write about…

And I remembered some advice I received which is that if you don’t know what to write about just write one sentence… and then who knows where this will take you.

So that is what I did – I started writing and carried on and now here I am and we are 201 words in and 11 sentences so far… and now I am in a bit of a flow and will be able to write more…

It struck me that this is really exceptional advice for any aspect of life that you might be struggling in.

Whether it is:

  • Losing weight – start with one less can of coke – or start with running for a minute
  • Writing the great World novel – start with writing just one sentence
  • Building a house – start with one brick
  • Dental hygiene – BJ Fogg’s great example of flossing one tooth at a time.
  • Insert your favourite example here…

You cure it by just starting…

As my buddy Brandon likes to say:

Whatever you’re putting off, just start
Because the struggle isn’t going anywhere

What are you struggling with? What could you start today?

Let me know in the comments and also for a bonus prize let me know what you are going to do to just start.

And if you are truly stuck for ideas you can do what I did when I first started trying to write and that was to join a challenge on what is now called Coach.me where they have a group called Write 500 Words Every Day. In there so far four writing coaches have run these 30 day challenges with a prompt for each day…

I have summarised the four coaches prompts below – to get more details you would need to look at Lift – It’s a nice challenge to do.

And the coaches so far have been:

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Cecily Kellogg
Write a letter to your inner critic
Write a love letter as though your last
Write a Press Release
Moving Day
How are your mornings
Tell a carefully edited truth
Write a character study or a customer avatar
Defend a lie
Mix memoir and fictions
Write about climbing
Lets talk about slaying dragons
Firsts
Branding
Wounded
Something Missing
Apologies and Forgiveness
Contradictions
Distractions
The Dreaded Elevator Pitch
Fantasy
This changes everything
Why, Why not?
What is your theme song?
Reverse Bucket List
Sticking Point
Taking Notes
Favourite Words
Endings
Who taught you storytelling?
[/one_fourth_first]

Dane Sanders Write your story. Who are you, what brings you here? Where do you want your writing to take you? What questions, what problems and what audience will you cultivate? What are three important truths for creatives Tell the story of how you came to believe number 1 Important truths for creatives. How did you believe number 2? Important truths for creatives. How did you believe number 3? Write a thank you letter to a business owner Write a review of your favourite blog post Imitate the style of the post you reviewed yesterday After looking back add your own voice. Describe the lives of your audience by individuals A prompt from someone elses book What images appear in the world around you Write about anything… Add to your Goethe’s walking stick Add to your Goethe’s walking stick Topoi and Goethe’s walking stick Topoi and Goethe’s walking stick Reach back into your Topoi.. Reach back into your Topoi.. Write two love letters Write two gratitude letters What are you waiting for? Choose ten people who… Draw a picture of yourself as a child… Reach back into your Topoi.. Why are you so awesome
Jeff Goins Are you ready to commit? Whats your goal? Get up early Learn to free write Write what you know Tell someone else’s story Write a letter to your younger self (or to your kids) Make a list Teach something Write about writing Persuade Lie How was your day? Write about food Evaluate your progress Give Hope Pick a fight Write about waiting Write in someone elses voice Write about Justice Go to confession Write about fear Write the end Cut the fluff Write about Travel Write about disappointment Write about work Write your own eulogy Write what you know Write about finishing
Paul Juns Why? Digestion Steal from your heroes Befriend your fears Set your intentions Seek to Understand Write about what you learned this year Lay down an idea for a project Tell your story but start at the end Share your childhood memory Who would you want to have dinner with? Teach What do you most value in a friendship? Fix something that’s broken Write about a memory When was the last time you played? What habit improved your life? Empathy Write a letter for 2015 History Invent an animal How has travelling changed you? Write about the holidays let someone know they are appreciated Anticipation Write about Risk Pay Homage to your heroes Write about Heartbreak or Love Review and Digest