I waited for a long time before I began writing seriously.

I thought I need to make more money first, get caught up on my other commitments, have more childcare, or somehow find big blocks of time in my busy schedule.

I had a few other “stories” too, like thinking I needed to have a genius idea hit me like a stroke of lightning before I could get started.

With a few nudges from some good friends reinforcing what my soul had been pestering me about for many, many years, I decided the time to start writing was right away, not later.

I took a class to get myself going, which was lovely, but it wasn’t enough to help me make the shift to being a serious writer.

So I did some major life design work to reorganize my business and my life around my writing.

It required some choices that were uncomfortable, like changing my sleeping pattern, developing new disciplines, and making new commitments.

I also started my online writing community.

Getting from point A to point B

From the outside looking in, it can feel overwhelming (especially for sensitive types) to contemplate making a major life change like this, which is why we put it off.

It’s not that hard when you break it down into steps.

• I made the internal decision to write and to think of myself as a writer (I also did some NLP work to ease that transition).
• I implemented the external changes: Adjusting my schedule, my sleeping pattern, my habits, and my commitments to myself and to others.
• I started taking classes and immersing myself in the writing world.
• I shifted my attention in terms of my reading and my community as part of that immersion.

At the outset it felt impossible to get here.

Now there is no question is my mind about being a writer and having writing as an integral part of my life.

Start small, but start now

Barbara Sher says, “Start small and start now.”

The lesson here is that if you have a dream — whether it is to write, dance, sing, act, share your wisdom, start a business, or whatever you feel called to — begin it now.

As W. H. Murray loosely paraphrased from Goethe, “Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!”

My writing community has taught me the power of regular, consistent, small action.

In the first session of the writing community, I added 21 pages to my screenplay in 23 days, averaging only 25 minutes of writing per day.

I’m happy to say, that by continuing with that pattern of consistent, regular action (though I did gradually increase the amount of time I put into it), I completed my first feature-length screenplay Monday.

It was truly amazing to see what one can accomplish with small steps.

No matter where you go, there you are

What fascinates me most are the internal shifts we make as we go through a journey like this —ƒ from thinking of ourselves one way (“I’m a coach.”) to a new way (“I’m a writer and a coach.”).

I’ve been through this before, as I made my shift from urban design work to life coaching (apparently I’m one of those serial careerists — check back with me in 10 years and we’ll see where I am!).

I still feel like me, the fundamental essence of who I am hasn’t changed, but the way I think about who I am has changed.

Ah, life!

A tip to go

My favorite trick for getting things into motion is this: Decide what you’re going to work on — something you’ve been dreaming about but putting off — then set a timer for 15 minutes and do it.

Then stop and celebrate.

If you’re feeling really reluctant, set that timer for an even shorter length of time, like 5 minutes. (I’m not kidding about this.)

Then do it again tomorrow.