the long game: even when

Here’s why you show up to write or bat or run or paint or connect or speak or cook or play or build or sing or present or lead… even when you don’t feel like it.

Even when you don’t want to. Even when you’re doubting yourself and your abilities. Even when the resistance is loud and the excuses are many. Even when, even when, even when…

Even when you think your work turns out crap.

Because one day, it won’t.

You never know when that day might be.

We surprise ourselves! Sometimes on my worst days, I write something I’m most proud of. Sometimes when I feel least like going to the gym, I have the best workout. Sometimes when I’m convinced something I’m creating is lame and pointless, something awesome follows.

You can’t stop there. Otherwise you won’t ever reach the brighter days and better creations.

You have to stay unblocked and keep moving and be open.

You have to keep practicing and showing up.

Even when, even when, even when.

One thousand practice hits later, you’ll have amassed a great body of work, a very strong and tall wall, and even if some percentage of it is shit — it’s bound to be, there’s no way around it; we’re imperfect humans, not fail-safe robots, and we make mistakes and have a million elements and impacts. This is indisputable fact and will forever be inescapable. It’s also how we learn and grow. — so even if some percentage of your work is shit, the rest won’t be!

If you cannot have the body of work — much of which will be great and the fulfillment of your biggest dreams — without churning out some shit along the way, don’t you think wading through that from time to time is going to be worth it?

In my opinion, by far the better vote.

Last night, I didn’t want to write. I’ve been having a harder time keeping my writing sessions frequent (they’ve been less every-day-ish than they were for a long time), and I haven’t been as inclined to write lately, due to limited time and a lot of excitement for a few other things in my life right now (like Spanish!).

So last night, I didn’t feel like blogging, which has been happening pretty frequently lately, and I didn’t have any good writing ideas. I wrote anyway, and it was okay. Nothing to shout from the rooftops (I literally called it “a blurb” 😂), but it was done, and I was glad.

Tonight, once again I did not feel like writing. I didn’t feel an urge or motivation or impulse. I thought I probably would not be very inspired, and my work would turn out subpar for the second night in a row (which is an unmotivating, sort of morale-lowering prospective to consider).

I wrote anyway, and I could not stop. Here I am, still sitting on my couch, the entire room blackened to darkness since I sat down, writing for probably over and hour! Second blog post in!

And I really like what I’ve written tonight! It feels like better writing, I’ve gotten into a flow, it’s been useful for my mind and clarity, and I’m happy with it.

One thousand practice hits. You never know. One of them will be your next home run. All of them help you get stronger. All of them clear the way and keep your muscles working and remembering and present. Stay engaged. Try again. Don’t go down for the count without popping right back up. You’re in the game. You have work to do. Time to play. Time to have some fun.

It’s the long game. Do it even when it isn’t fun, and it will get more and more and more fun the further you go.

Keep showing up.