When Your Work Feels Extra Hard
Photo by Daniel Chekalov on Unsplash
A blog post or written piece:
Starts in my journal.
Starts with a conversation.
Starts at my computer.
Starts on a walk with my son.
Starts during a prayer.
Starts when I’m about to fall asleep.
Inspiration doesn't hit me every day. I have to work at it. But when it does, I start typing to see what words land on the page.
My mind usually goes faster than my fingers. If I feel a pause in my thoughts, I either linger in it or I write about the pause. I write using my five senses —
I picture the person reading my words.
I see the fields I pass on a long drive when I write about nature.
I taste the flavors when I'm trying to remember a story I've lived.
I hear different sounds like crying, laughing, or humming when I try to depict overwhelming thoughts.
I feel the pain when I recall a particular struggle.
Writing is about minute-by-minute choices we make -- when to put a period or a comma. When to hit the space bar, delete, or start a new paragraph. When to end.
There's always a beginning, a middle, and an end. Some parts are more difficult than others.
The end is difficult for me. The beginning may be difficult for you. The beginning is difficult for me too. I can usually handle the middle. Editing it down to X amount of words takes a different kind of energy. I guess all of it is hard.
Yet, I keep coming back for more. I love feeling my keyboard keys click underneath my finger pads. I love picturing your faces and eyes scrolling across the page to absorb each word or concept.
I love the feeling I get when I read something good, hard, or confusing. I love reading words that make me pause to think about it for a minute. I want to evoke that same feeling in you.
The Why
I share part of my writing process to give you a behind-the scenes look, and to remind you that all good things take time to form. A finished piece of work goes layers deep. Your work should take you to the depths so you can resurface with something of depth.
“Your work should take you to the depths so you can resurface with something of depth.”
We are fast-paced, driven people, but we're also made for the slow and steady. We keep going back to the kitchen to knead more dough. We keep going to the gym because we want to feel a good kind of sore. We keep praying because we hope. Sometimes, we persevere just to persevere. We don't always know the end goal.
I could say it's resilience. I could say it’s hard work and determination. Bottom line, it's the human race designed to believe and made to receive. Mercy says, “Your belief isn't for nothing”. Mercy keeps us alive and keeps us from stopping.
Here’s an exercise to help you reframe your thoughts around the hard work you’re facing right:
What hard work are you facing right now?
Why are you doing it?
How does it serve you?
How does it serve others? (For this question, you can imagine your audience as a specific person and give them specific characteristics. Example: My work serves those who feel neglected. Those who don't have a lot of time on their hands and need help. My work helps others feel supported. My work serves working mom's or single dad's.)
Form your answers into one paragraph.
Example: I write because I love intentional language and how it can inspire others. Writing serves my God-given influence, and it serves young women who need to feel seen and known by God.
Bonus Exercise: The questions may even lead you to set boundaries around what you’re giving your time and energy to. Is what you’re doing necessary and right for this season?
When you feel inadequate come back to your paragraph. When you need to remember your "why", reflect on what you wrote. You can even write more in depth about your work process like I did in this post. Write about the research or effort it takes, the time and energy, and why it's all worth it.
Remember that your work — whether it's a small business, exercising, homeschooling, showing up to a 9-5 job, or creating recipes — has a place and a purpose. YOU have a place and a purpose. When your work feels extra hard, remember your “why” and let God’s mercy breath life back into your lungs.
STICKY NOTES FOR THIS WEEK
All good things take time to form.
I do this because ______________.
My minute-by-minute choices matter. They lead to something greater.