I Struggle With This, But I'm Practicing

I'm working to become aware of what is instead overthinking about what might be. That's a good practice for life and writing.

Last week I was on vacation. A long weekend—ocean breezes, palm trees, a cocktail (or two), and plenty of adventure.

Sunday, I came home, rested, relaxed. Monday, I woke up exhausted. The laundry was piled up, emails were waiting, and my to-do list was growing by the minute. I shifted fast from ease and gratitude into tight, anxious scarcity—too much to do, not enough time.

This isn’t just a post-vacation thing. I see it in daily life. I see it in writing and work.
We move so quickly from inspiration to overwhelm.

We sit down thinking about how we must sell our book before we’ve even written a sentence. We dwell on writing 80,000 words instead of the ones that must come first.

In life, too, we do this. We have a baby and immediately think: How am I going to get her potty trained? Pay for college? Keep her alive? We get assigned a work project and begin worrying about how it will be received, even before we’ve started.

This is exhausting. This overthinking. And we don’t need to do it.

The Practice

We grow into our lives. Each day is a practice. We become more skilled at being human.

But the overthinking, the pressure of figuring it all out—every moment, every task, every goal—can stop us before we start.

Writers, try this instead: Start with one idea. One paragraph. A line of dialogue. A tiny scene that feels doable today. One thing for today.

That’s how books get written—not all at once, but through a steady rhythm of showing up and building on what’s there.

Same goes for life. Start small. A cup of coffee. A 10-minute walk. One item. One conversation with one person. One gratitude. One task. A breath.

Be where you are now. First. Presence over panic. Being while doing. Instead of mindlessly doing.

You’ll still get things done—maybe even more—but from a place that feels calmer, clearer, more creative, connected, healthy.

This is what I’m working on as I ease back into routine.
A little less pressure. A little more presence.

And it’s the mindset I’m bringing to the writing I’m sharing this week on Simply Write and Simply Said, because when we live well, we write better.

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THANK YOU.

I’ve felt the love this week with a flurry of paid subscribers on both Simply Said, my stack on how to live well, do good, be happy, and on Simply Write, the stack on the writer’s craft and crafting a writer’s life.

I cannot overstate how much I value my connection with all of you here.
We are working through this life and writing thing together, and sharing that process with you is part of my purpose.

When you purchase a subscription, it also pays for the time I spend researching and writing—often in the middle of the night or on weekends—to bring something I believe might help us live lives we love and change the world for the better.

Thanks for the validation. And the paycheck. I appreciate it a ton.

Be safe this weekend.

Bring your best energy, your patience, and your compassion. A lot is wrong in the world. I get it.

But we can be what’s right. I believe in us.

-p

If you're easing back into your own routine—or back into your writing—I’d love for you to check out what I’m sharing this week here on Substack with Simply Write and Simply Said a Join us by hitting subscribe.