And ways to get back on your path when you have a setback

Yes, writers do experience periods of intense self-growth. Most writers will go through a block or setback at some point. Anti-writing days that will distract us from our goals. Life issues that will change us (like a pandemic!). Times that will give us the impression that we might lose everything we’ve ever tried to accomplish.

Going through one of those blocked periods and feeling like your writing career is no longer viable, can be devastating. Especially when as a writer, you are pretty much the only one experiencing it, and it always seems like your friends and colleagues are still growing, succeeding, and moving on with their life. Their successes take a toll on your goals, motivations, and instincts as you feel you are being left behind. This creates self-growth, doesn’t it? Sort of forces our hands.

When I experienced “real” life, (those things that we think won’t ever happen to us), I wasn’t ready. I had to deal with situations for the very first time. Situations like doctors, nurses, and a sick family member. Friends and family may help you through most of these things but they cannot prepare you for is your own internal issues. My own self-growth lost its momentum and some days it seemed as if my life was moving away from me. I wasn’t prepared for every day needs to just get through hour by hour, to remain strong, while finding myself unable to manage the simple things, like finishing a book. It felt like something inside stopped working and I didn’t know how to fix it.

After facing a period of self-growth, you’re left thinking: so where do I go from here? How do I start over?

How do I get over this?

Well, first of all, you must find the strength to stop living in the past. The truth is, it’s gone. It’s gone and it ain’t coming back. Don’t waste time thinking “Can I just have my old life back?” because your old life does not exist any longer. It’s a true statement that you cannot accept anything new being handed to you if your hands are already full. In the famous words of “Frozen” – let it go. Realize that where you are right now is where you are supposed to be and start from here.

Instead of living in the past, make better use of your headspace. Find better things to spend your thinking time on. Start out small. But start!

• Practice self-care even if it is taking a bubble bath
• Get busy-work is a therapy for some
• Get out of bed and off that couch and exercise
• Start a journal-get some planners and make a plan
• Set some goals and challenge yourself to keep them

Life does go on. You will face a life of challenge, and sometimes it will be unrelenting. But if you start now, TODAY, learning how to get back up and pick up the reins and flog the horse a little farther up the road, you will do so much better than many!

And the writing will return. I know it did for me.

You can find other posts about writing struggles on this blog like this one:

What writing struggles do you have?