Maybe it’s time to try something new.

Hi Reader,

I saw a post on Instagram last week from someone I follow sharing a mini-story about her dating life. She is a woman in her sixties and a recovering alcoholic who has been celibate and not dating for “a couple of decades,” she says in the post.

Her reason for not dating for so long is that in the past, when she had attempted dating after getting sober (online or otherwise), she had bad experiences with “narcissists, love bombers, and immature boys,” and, she says, “my general inability to not recognize those types of people made me realize I was not the right person to find me a mate.”

She’s a writer who now has an assignment to write about matchmaking, and so she’s going to let a professional attempt to find her a match. “Maybe after all my years of terrible picking, it’s time to let a professional picker do the work,” she says.

(The account is @welcometoheidi, if you’re interested or curious—it’s a delightful blend of funky fashion and personal storytelling. Heidi posts videos of herself putting together her daily outfits with a voiceover of a mini-personal story, like this one about her dating life.)

You may be wondering, What on earth does this have to do with anything?

I saw this post and immediately thought the idea was genius.

If you want something, like a life partner, but the usual way to go about getting it, like dating, isn’t working, then why not try something completely different or new, like a professional matchmaker?

Maybe you see where I’m going now.

Because in the sentence above you can replace life partner, dating, and professional matchmaker with ANYTHING. Fill in the blanks with the specifics to your own life or circumstances.

If you want something, like a finished book manuscript, but the usual way to go about getting it, like getting up at 5 a.m. to write every day, isn’t working, then why not try something completely different or new, like…

• setting the timer for 20 minutes and surprising yourself with how much you get done in such a short amount of time.
• picking a different time of day to write altogether—maybe in the afternoon when the kids are taking a nap or playing outside, or at night right before you go to bed.
• writing by dictation, talking into your phone while you’re on a walk, or driving, or doing anything.
• giving yourself permission to write ONE day a week instead of trying to FORCE yourself to write every day—AND releasing the false narrative that “real writers write every day” while you’re at it.
• taking a break altogether, and don’t write (or even try to write) for a set amount of time—one week, two weeks, a month—whatever you need to allow yourself to REST from the pressure you’re putting on yourself to WRITE. EVERY. DAY.

This is an excellent exercise.

Take this sentence and copy/paste it into a blank document:

Fill in the blanks with your own situation and then finish the sentence with a bullet list of different ideas you could try instead. I’m going to challenge you to make a list of five things, and then try one a week for the next five weeks.

If you don’t feel unstuck or recharged or refreshed or reinvigorated or re-inspired or just plain excited and interested in your creative work again, well, then, I don’t know what to tell you.

But if you keep an open mind, and are willing to try something new and just see how it goes—think of it like an experiment, then I’m pretty sure you’ll be surprised by the results.

If you do try this exercise, hit reply to this email and copy/paste your own sentence and list of things to to try into the message. I would love to see what you come up with.

Here’s to trying something new.

Janna

p.s. It’s still July for two more days (today and tomorrow, depending on when you read this email) and that means you can still take advantage of the $45 birthday savings on a membership in my private community for women writing nonfiction. Click here for details and to sign up (oh, and, you also get 30 days for free, so if you sign up today, you’re not charged until August 30.)

Have a question or some thoughts to share? Hit reply. Your email lands right in my inbox.

Who am I and what’s this email all about?

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I’m Janna. I’m a book coach and editor for women writing nonfiction. I write weekly emails with tips, motivation, inspiration, and encouragement for the writing and creative life. I support women with coaching and editing on writing, finishing, and publishing their nonfiction books in my private community More to the Story. (Yes, editing and manuscript review is available for community members.)

One of my mantras is: Tell stories without shame. I believe that we can find health, wellness, and happiness in life when we share our personal story with others, because it helps us come to terms with what makes us who we are.