Resolutions

Are you writing?

Wait—let’s take one step back. Do you want to write? Is there a book you’ve always wanted to put together? Do you have a character that lurks in your head, waiting for his story to be told? Do you have a message you want to share with the world?

People tell me about book ideas they have all the time. You know what happens when they start to describe their ideas? Their eyes light up, and they start gesturing like a passionate Italian grandma. Until I ask how many pages a day they write. Then the excitement leeches from their faces and they look something akin to a Bruce Campbell zombie.

That’s when gentle Kate emerges to comfort and soothe: “No worries. You’ll write when the time is right.” Except the real Kate wants to step up with “News flash Walter Kronkite: your book will never get done if you don’t sit your ass down and write.”

Do you realize that if you write one page a day, you’ll have a book in a year? 

Maybe writing isn’t the thing you’ve been thinking of doing. Maybe it’s martial arts. Maybe you want to learn piano, or take a dance class, or start to knit again. I can already hear the excuses—time, money, children, work, age… To which I delicately sniff and reply, “Pshaw.”

So what are you saying, Kate? 

Okay, I’ll lay it out plainly for you: screw New Years resolutions this year. Don’t resolve anymore. I quoted P. Diddy to my writers’ group when I gave a brief motivational talk several weeks ago, and I’m going to quote him again: Do that shit.

Start now. For real. Take the next ten minutes to do something toward your passion. Because isn’t it time to just do it? What are you waiting for?