My 500 Words

I keep saying that I’ve been waking up consistently around 3 or 4am but let me admit, I’ve actually been setting an alarm for that time to ensure it happens. Yes, some days I’ve allowed myself to sleep in a bit later and catch up on sleep from a later night, but in general, I haven’t been allowing myself to become accustomed to the time change in Hawaii.

But to be frank, I’m not doing it to make the time change (one way or the other) any easier. I’m doing it because when we first got here and I would wake up super early and couldn’t fall back asleep, I would just get up and write. I would start my days with a little journaling or post writing and it felt amazing.

My writing has been very uninspired lately so to sit down, start writing and feel like I was getting somewhere really meant something to me. So I kept doing it and as time has passed and we’ve been here longer, I’ve continued that practice. I’ve noticed how it helps start my day in the perfect way, especially when I’m up early enough to catch the morning sunrise on the beach or get in a run before it gets too warm out.

Then just the other day, I found myself skimming through an email from Jeff Goins and after clicking through a few links, discovered his 500 word writing challenge. Write 500 words a day for an entire month? In some ways that seems easy but at the same time, I knew it wouldn’t be. The inspiration of my writing these last couple weeks though has been enough to make me realize how much that has been lacking in my life the last 9 months and how it’s time to bring it back. What a perfect way for me to commit to my writing and not to mention the perfect time.

Here I am, only a few days in but also committed to the goal.

One of the things I really love is how Jeff Goins advises you to sit down and write everyday but if a day comes that you can’t get your 500 words done, don’t stress and don’t try to catch up, just get right back at it.

I think that’s such great advise – for our writing, for our health and for our lives in general.

Think of all of the times we start something and because we don’t reach our goal one day we quit. Or those days when we don’t quite eat the way we’d like and feel like we need to make up for it the next day with a crazier workout. It’s about balance, putting the goal in front of you, and doing your best without putting so much pressure on yourself to be perfect.

Quite the lesson, isn’t it?

I have plans and dreams and ideas and so many things that I want out of my life but the more time goes by, the more I realize that writing needs to be a big part of that. I only see ways how this will help.

Have you ever tried a writing challenge? How did that go?

What are a few goals you’re working towards right now?