Don’t Wait—Write!
By Andrea Merrell
Excuses. We hear them all the
time. We make them all the time. It’s too hot. It’s too cold. I’m too tired.
When the kids go back to school. When I retire. When my life slows down.
Our excuses turn into procrastination and we delay,
postpone, and hesitate to do what we need to do. I have a friend who says his
wife has become the queen of tomorrow.
Not to be morbid, but we’re not promised tomorrow.
We tend to save the fancy china for special occasions. We bring out the best
sheets and towels for overnight guests. And we plan to make that delicious new
recipe someday when we have company. My grandmother used to wear ragged
nightgowns to bed while her drawer was full of new ones just in case she “had
to go to the hospital.”
Psalm 90:12 (NLT) says, Teach us to realize the
brevity of life so that we may grow in wisdom. Some people plan for today
but live for tomorrow. Maybe we should plan for tomorrow but live for today.
I’m a person who loves large blocks of time to do
what I need to do. But those times are few, so I’m learning to
take advantage of every opportunity. The voice of procrastination will always
whisper, “You can do it later.” But when we realize the brevity of life, as the
psalmist says, we will seize the day and stop putting things off .
Waiting for the perfect time or that special
occasion can leave us with a lifetime of regrets. One writer says every day we
wake up is a special occasion. A new day that the Lord has made, filled with new
blessings, new mercies, and new opportunities.
What are you putting off until later? Fill in the
blank: Someday I’ll _____. One of these days I’m going to _____. Maybe you need
to forgive that friend, send that email, take a vacation, or say I love you.
Perhaps you need to write that blog post, submit that article, work on your
novel, or update your website. Possibly, you need a new headshot or new business
cards. Or it could be that you need to sit down and read the book that’s been
on your shelf for months.
As we continue to set our goals for this new year, whatever you
need—and want—to do, do it now. There’s no greater feeling of accomplishment
than completing those long-overdue tasks. If you’re called to be a writer, don’t
wait. Write!
(Photo
courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Stuart Miles.)
TWEETABLE
Write every day, even if you only write a grocery list. Write on! :-)
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