At the end of October I told you I was going to take a month to slow down. Then I blinked, and it was January.
I wish I could give you a tidy list of profound life lessons gleaned from my time off, but pinpointing takeaways has proved a challenge. Each time I try, I feel like I’m staring at one of those 3D art posters at the mall, trying to force my eyes to focus on a hidden object. I’ve never been good at those.
A Noisy Silence
I can tell you that what was supposed to be a restful November started with an awful lot of noise, just not the kind I’m used to. As external voices quieted (internet, TV, radio, people), the internal barrage became deafening. All kinds of questions and fears I’d been drowning out with busyness seized the opportunity to be heard.
It wasn’t pleasant, but I forced myself to be still. I listened, pondered, and resisted the temptation to make plans and set goals for change. That was probably the smartest decision I made – ignoring the impulse to do. It wasn’t a time for doing, it was a time for being.
January, on the other hand, is traditionally considered a time for doing. The me of two months ago would have started 2015 with a grand scheme to Fix All The Things, yet here I sit, reluctant to even bend my thoughts that direction. This change is a result of my November slowdown, and it is perhaps the one thing I learned with absolute clarity:
I have to stop all the doing.
This conviction goes hand-in-hand with another lesson that’s becoming ever more clear:
I pressure myself with unrealistic expectations, and they’re ruining me.
Joy-Stealing Pressure
When I say unrealistic expectations, I’m not just talking about those I inflict upon myself, I’m also talking about the imaginary expectations I tell myself others have for me. I’ve always been a people pleaser, but I’m only beginning to realize how much my drive to please others has drained me of time, energy, and joy.
For example, I love writing. Books have been my passion since toddlerhood. Now, as I approach middle age, I’m 3 years into a novel project, have a running list of ebook ideas, and maintain 3 different blogs.
I hear writers describe their craft as life-giving, and I relate. Putting words together to create beauty and convey truth is one of the greatest pleasures of life. Why, then, has sitting in front of my computer become such a chore these last few months? Why do I approach my life’s passion with increasing anxiety, even dread?
Of course, most writers will admit to a love-hate relationship with words. (Someone once said, “It’s not writing I love, it’s having written.” Amen to that.) But there’s something more at work here, beyond the standard intimidation factor. My joy in writing is being leeched away by the pressure of expectation — unrealistic expectation that I should be doing more, and doing it better.
Where Does It End?
In nearly every aspect of life, I’m swamped with (mostly) self-inflicted pressure to do, do, do, but it’s impossible for me to do these things as well or as quickly as I (and others?) expect. The reality is that my writing – while a God-given passion not to be squandered – is not my most important job. Not even close.
Wife. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Friend. I am all of these things, and I am a writer. There will always be more I could do as a writer, as a mother, as a friend. There is no end to all the potential doing, but there is an end to me.
And I think that’s the secret I’m straining to identify in my metaphorical 3D wall art. Where is the end of me? What are my boundaries? And how, within those hedges, do I obey my calling as a wife? Mother? Writer?
Seeking Balance Together
I’ve had conversations with enough of you to know I’m not the only one wrestling with this balancing act. It would be easier to find a solution if the same thing worked for everyone, but the answers are as diverse as we are. Still, we can learn from one another. So, lets talk about it.
Are you expecting too much of yourself?
How do you know when life has gotten out of balance?
What do you do about it?
I can relate to a lot of what you shared here, Alison. The first year that I was a part of LCW, I didn’t really do any writing, other than my blog. I spent my time studying the writing craft and learning and refreshing my memory because I had put my writing on hold for many years because I felt that my job as wife, mother and homeschool teacher were more important. Even now, as I have reawakened my writer’s heart and desire, I face many of the pressures you speak about.
However, I follow Jody Hedlund’s blog and she is a homeschool mom and a successful writer, and she has a blog. What I found is that she retains quite a following and a large readership, but she only blogs once a week.
I do see the importance of blogging, as a writer. But, after learning about Jody’s way of doing things, I felt that I could manage a blog post once a week and not feel so much pressure. I still haven’t found a way to make time for my writing on a daily basis, and that is the thing that I put myself under pressure for because becoming a writer, and like you, I have lots of ideas for stories and fiction is also my passion.
I have found, though, that I work well with deadlines, as I have submitted some short nonfiction pieces to a couple of places to see what happens and to try to get noticed and, possibly earn a little money while I try to find a way to make time to write the novels.
I will pray for you as I pray for my own struggles in the area of writing. I will also pray that you will be able to take the questions of others in regard to your novel, as people who are supporters of your writing and who look forward to reading your work, but to not allow that to pressure you but to be pleased that you already of willing readers in the wings.
Alison, I just read a wonderful, inspiring post you might find helpful. You can find it at:
http://www.kathleenrupff.com/blog/be-free-and-flourish-through-consecration
I’ve put off commenting here because I have no idea how to maintain balance! I just know I’m on a roller coaster ride sometimes I want off! 🙂
Are you reading Small Victories yet? I read this today and thought about you (and me and everyone).
“This is how we make important changes — barely, poorly, slowly. And still He (Jesus) raises His fist in triumph.”
Breathe. Yes. Grace. One little step at a time, even if it comes after a hundred steps backward.