Second-year medical school students are known to experience symptoms of many of the diseases they study, at least for the week they’re studying that particular ailment. It’s the placebo effect in reverse – focusing so much attention on symptoms causes med students to think they have them. “It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, … More Writer’s Block and Medical Student Syndrome
If this Thanksgiving post sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve published it before. It bears repeating. As a writer, what do you give thanks for? Your computer? Teachers who taught you to read and write? Writers who inspire you? Your vision and the flexibility of your fingers and brain? Do you give thanks for your resistance? … More Thanks for the Resistance – Again!
One of the ways the Saboteur stops us is to use rhetorical questions as barriers. Questions like: Who do you think you are? Who do I think I am to write _______? Why on earth would anyone want to read what I write? What makes me even think I can write _______? How could I … More Break the Saboteur’s Hold on Your Writing
Anything you can do to strengthen your writing habits and weaken the resisting habits will make your life so much easier and satisfying. Resisting habits are the thoughts and actions that make it less likely you will write. For example, consistently checking your email and Facebook when you think about writing decreases the chances you … More Do You have Writing Habits or Resisting Habits?
The previous post invited you to write your Writer’s Poop List of the things you don’t love about being a writer. So why do we deal with all this s**t? Why do I pick up what a friend euphemistically calls “recycled dog food”? Because I love my dogs and that is part of having dogs … More Keep the Poop Principle and Writer’s Block in Their Place
Last time, I gave you a Radical Solution to Resistance, aka don’t do what you don’t want to do, as it applies to exercise. To effectively apply a Radical Solution to Writing Resistance, you need to know exactly what it is you don’t want to do. It’s probably something you associate with writing, not the … More If You Love to Write, Write!
No matter how resistant you are – how much or how long you’ve been procrastinating, distracting yourself, doing anything but the writing you want or need to do – two simple commands will change everything. Well-trained dogs respond to these commands and you can train your brain to respond, too. Yes, I know people are … More Master Resistance with Two Simple Commands
After the last post on the neurology of resistance, many of you may be thinking “Okay, so writing resistance is normal and I don’t have to feel guilty or embarrassed. That’s a huge relief, but what do I do next? How do I get past resistance and start writing again?” The key is the RAS … More Relax Your Way Out of Writer’s Block – Brain Basics Part 2
Joel Canfield asked me to review “the foundations and high-level perspectives about why we struggle with this stuff, and why your excellent solutions work.” I’m happy to oblige! Here are the brain basics of writer’s block. Do You Have What It Takes? If you’ve ever questioned whether you have enough discipline, will power, ambition or … More Brain Basics About Writer’s Block
As a writer, what do you give thanks for? Your computer? Teachers who taught you to read and write? Writers who inspire you? Your vision and the flexibility of your fingers and brain? Can you see how resistance, even full-fledged block, might be something to be thankful for? When we feel resistance, we both want … More What Are You Thankful For?
Bane of Your Resistance 