Lies You Tell Yourself About Writing

You know that writing regularly is a powerful way to get where you want to go; to build your business, your personal brand, and your position as a thought leader. But you don’t do it because you’ve convinced yourself that you can’t. The little voice that lives between your ears says:

• I can’t write because I have writer’s block. Writer’s block is when you tell yourself that you can’t write so many times that you finally believe it.
• I can’t write because I don’t have ideas or inspiration right now. Even though I have countless stories and experiences,  nothing comes to mind right now while I am trying to write. If I had an idea, I would write.
• The ideas that I do have aren’t original enough to write about. I can’t write until I have that one brilliant, unique insight that is mine alone. The idea must be completely unique because no great work was ever influenced by anyone else’s ideas.
• Who has enough time to write? Writing takes too much time. I’m already behind on my email, and I still have work to do. I would write if I had more time. Plus, Game of Thrones.
• No one is going to read what I write anyway – the Internet is too crowded with content already. Who would want to read what I have to say? I’m not famous. What? Am I supposed to write for myself?
• I would write if I was a better writer. I mean, if I were, say, Hemingway, I would write. If I were Godin, I would write. But I can’t write like they write. I am not that good.
• People are going to judge me and my ideas. The trolls are going to tear me apart. Everyone is so judgmental and I don’t need that right now.

There are dozens of lies you can tell yourself about why you can’t write, none of which are true.

Writer’s block is cured by writing.

You have plenty of ideas, you just haven’t catalogued them when you are in a resourceful, creative state.

There is nothing new under the sun, and your take on an idea makes it original.

You can write a post like this one in half the time it takes to watch Game of Thrones.

Google will help the people who need your work to find it.

The only way to get better at writing is to read great writers and write.

People are going to judge you, but you must write anyway.