For years I worked as a life and relationships coach. And I would always ask my clients to write. At first they didn't know why. They knew I was a professional writer but why would I be asking them to write? It didn't take long for them to understand.
You see, writing is not just a career for me. It is a way of life. It permeates every part of my life. And I feel it should permeate every part of your life as well.
To write is to think, feel, process, communicate, live…just on paper. And the best part is that until that paper is shown to anyone else, it remains a private conversation with yourself. Something for you to read. Reread. Analyze. Discuss. Dissect. And ultimately rewrite.
I ask my clients to write because I find that when they need to choose the words to express their complex thoughts, feelings and fears, writing allows them to do so. And if they don’t like what they have written, they can so clearly see where the problems are and where the work is that needs to be done.
It is one thing to verbalize a goal. It is something else to write it down. To see those words. To have something tangible and objective to look at and know if what you are doing is working towards your goal or keeping you farther away. Once it is in writing, it is real.
Do you write a shopping list before you head to the grocery store? Do you keep a calendar of your meetings and appointments? Why? Because you know that if you write those things down, you are less likely to forget them and they will help you stay organized. So if you write to ensure you make it to the dentist and get milk, shouldn’t you do the same thing for the most important aspects of your life?
Try it. Write down three things you want to accomplish this week: one in the physical realm, one in the emotional real and one in the intellectual realm. Make sure to keep that list where you can see it…daily. And at the end of each day, write down what you did in each of those three areas to get you closer to that goal. I assure you that just by writing those goals and the steps you are taking to reach them, the writing process itself will help you actualize them.
So get ready, set, WRITE!
