Writing Articles – What to Write When You Are Stuck?

Writing Articles – This post will share some ideas about what to do when you are stuck.  You know those times when you sit down at your keyboard, planning on writing articles and are ready to crank out some content and you just do not know what to do.

This can be very frustrating and difficult to navigate.  Most people will quit because they cannot handle the tension that comes in these moments.  This post will outline what you should do when you are stuck to break through and get to a place where you are empowered by the work that you are doing.

Writing Articles – What to Write When You Are Stuck

Below are a couple of tips to get you unstuck when you are stuck –

Close your eyes and see what idea comes to your head - Your unconscious mind is so much more powerful than your conscious mind.  The problem is that when we are stuck our conscious mind wants to control us and take over everything that we are doing.  This is a very bad place to be and will perpetuate you being stuck.  By closing your eyes and figuring out what will come up, you can tap into your unconscious and effectively give up control of the whole process.

Just start typing – Sit down at your keyboard and just start typing.  It is as simple as that.  Usually being stuck comes when we are trying to force a particular outcome.  There is no need to force an outcome.  Just start to work.  Even if what you are doing in the beginning is no good, it will continue to get better as you go along.  There is nothing that prevents you from throwing away your original work and moving on to something else.  Take advantage of this opportunity and continue to move forward with somewhat reckless abandon.  The feeling will be liberating and you may even find it to be fun.

Start to write about something that you completely disagree with – Being stuck comes from a lack of options and a lack of creative thinking.  By just sitting down and writing stuff that you do not believe, you will expose yourself to ideas that you never knew existed.  This is a great practice for inspiring and invoking creativity in your work and in all of your ventures.

Begin to talk – Sometimes, writing will not get you to a place where you want to go.  Another option is just to begin to write and get your ideas and thoughts out of your head.  Listen to what you wrote and you will be able to take notes based on what you wrote.  It will be like somebody else came up with the idea and you will remove your detachment from the work.  Talking is a great way to start to get your mind unstuck.

Move around (or just go for a walk) – Getting the body in motion can be super exciting and motivating to get you in action and to free your mind. When you are moving, ideas start to flow much more quickly and you will find that there is something that you will be able to latch onto and run with.

Relax and wait for another day – Maybe today is not your day.  You are stuck for a reason and it may because you are pushing too hard.  Just relax and wait for another day.

Try one of the strategies above on writing articles and you will find that you are moving so much closer to getting unstuck when you are stuck.

Make it an amazing day.

Writing Articles – Empower Network @ 2012

The Writing on the Train Movement

Writing on the Train – This post is coming to your from a trolley in San Diego.  This is officially my second train system where I have blogged.

Why does it matter?

About 3 months ago, I came up with the idea of replacing my income from my day job during my morning commute.  It was just a concept at the time and I did not know exactly how it was going to play out, but here is what has happened since then.

Writing on the Train

I purchased a new laptop. Every time I get on the train and I get a seat, I pull out my laptop.

It is liberating because this is time that I used to resent.  I did not enjoy the commute and treated it as a waste of time.  Well, that was of time has turned into some of my most profitable time.

Something else has happened as well.  The rest of my life has gotten more exciting and a lot more fun.  That is why I encourage all of my fellow straphangers to write on the train.  Maybe, you are not a writer but take care of those things in your life that you are taking care of during times when you can be traveling, spending time with your family, exercising, volunteering, praying or whatever else it is that you want to do.

We call it the gap time.

The gap time is the time that is usually not that productive.  It is the time when you are left alone with your worst enemy, the space between your ears.

That is never a good place to be.

The enemy is lazy time (not time when we are relaxing) but the time when you are sitting around thinking.  As I look around the train, I seem my fellow commuters shaking their heads from side to side.  They are dealing with something that is not so powerful for them.

If they could pull out a notebook or a laptop and put their ideas down on paper, the experience of life could be so much more exciting and so much more fun.

Next time you are on a train, start to write or do something that you would do at a different time.

Your subway, trolley or even bus can be the next Silicon Valley.  Imagine that?

Make today a great day.

Writing on the Train – Empower Network @ 2012