How Much is ENOUGH?

I take more time to listen to my gut as I write. My gut doesn’t always share the whole story.  I have to rely on my mind and my heart to fill in the blanks.  And, unfortunately, the mind creates many doubts as I write.

My mind was filled with doubts as I began writing what I thought would be last week’s newsletter. Despite the natural writing flow at the moment, something triggered the questions:

• When writing, how much is considered “ENOUGH?” 

• Does this mean my work is never done?

• How do I know I have given it my all?

My mind took over the flow. I was disheartened because I didn’t have the answers to shut my mind up.

Oddly, my GUT overwrote my mind last week in time to pivot and write instead about my recent job loss. 

The thought bubble of “how much is enough” returned this week. Why do I fear not writing enough?  Why am I concerned about the quality of my final work not being “enough?” 

I don’t struggle with these questions regularly. When I encourage others to journal, I emphasize the importance of NOT stressing about a word or page count, nor the number of days one creates a journal entry.  A routine one can stick to is the first step to a successful journaling experience. I have been able to maintain a daily journaling habit because of this. There are days I write a few lines in my journal and other days I push out a 6-page journaling session. Does this make one day more “enough” than the other? It never feels this way when I’m journaling.

With other forms of writing, there’s more pressure to perform. External factors (deadlines, guidelines, goals, etc.) come into play.  Even with these requirements, how does one know when it is ENOUGH at the creative level? 

My inner struggle stems from how I focus on what is ENOUGH and forget about the moment of CREATING.

“How much is enough?” is a future-based question riddled with anxiety. When I focus on this question, I am not living in the present moment of writing.

Every single word I write moves me closer to a finished product. There is also the added layer of writing from my gut.  There may be days when I have few words to write as my mind grows on another idea. It is frustrating when the mind and the gut are not in sync.

Writing is a daily morning ritual. I’ve trained my mind to wake up early for writing to download from it as much as possible. This is not how my gut or heart works. When I don't write out what my gut shares with me at a particular moment, I will be physically ill. It’s better to get it out than let it fester inside. When my gut has nothing else to share at the moment, this is when I know it’s ENOUGH.

Many writers stress about the number of words they produce per day.  Other creatives also struggle to quantify their achievements in the day.  They feel as though a quantity attached makes what they did more valuable.  But for who?  Not for the creative.  They just want to create.  This means the quantifier is for external sources not involved in the creative process. 

The tri-force of the mind, heart, and gut battle for creative dominance. The issue is with the mind - it will dwell in FEAR and practical thoughts that may have NOTHING to do with what you are creating in the moment. It may set the seed of what question needs answering, but we shouldn’t live too long in the mind during the creative process.

I don’t want to dismiss anyone with creative goals.  Are you writing 1,000 to 2,500 words per day?  Or 5-10 pages per day? Amazing.  Keep going!  IF IT IS WORKING FOR YOU!!!  Many people find quantifiers work best for them, especially when there is a specific reason behind the goal.  E.g. “I want to hit a word count of 60,000 words for my next book, therefore I need to write X amount per day by June.” 

Consistency matters more to me than quantity.  I am 717 days into my writing journey. My daily writing routine is more important than the number of words written per day or the number of written pieces completed or submitted per month. This also means it will always be more difficult for me to determine what is DONE or ENOUGH. As long as I am aware and accept this, I shouldn’t let “what is enough” pull me out of my NOW.

Creativity lives inside all of us. It is not always quantifiable. We are the ones who place parameters around our creativity. When the mind, heart, and gut play well together, magic happens. When they don’t, we can take turns listening to all three aspects of ourselves and determine what’s best for our journey. 

Enough said.

Enjoy the process, fellow creatives.

Naddy / Nadine