Just Write

If I only had time to write…

That blog post.
That Facebook post.
That article.
That poem.
That book proposal.
That white paper.
That first draft of a keynote presentation.
That business plan.
That idea for a podcast.
That online course.
That list of ideas.
That list of dreams.
The places that I want to visit.
The friends that I need to follow-up with.

The list goes on…

Grab a notebook.
Not today… but right now.
Not Evernote.
Grab a pen.

Now stop.

Go for a brisk walk first.
Maintain your distance.
Don’t listen to music.
Let your feet and your mind wander.

Come home.

Find a corner.
Find a desk.
Sit down.
Write.
Don’t stop writing.

Then…

Just before you go to bed… 
Read.
Start with 15 minutes.
Read every night.
Don’t stop.
Keep going.
If you don’t read, you will never write.

Write.

Write more.
You don’t have to publish that article.
You don’t have to publish anything.
Just write.
It will change you.
It will change your perception of the world.
It will give you ideas.
New ideas.

It will become a fountain of inspiration in your life.

Carry around a small notebook in your back pocket.
Take notes.
That’s writing too.
Write down everything that you observe.
The real.
The strange.
The people.
The things those people say.
If you never had the time to write, now you do.
It’s one of the few things that can thank the virus for.
Permission granted.

Just write.