“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. The trick is to focus on the first small thing. Starting small is still starting, and small beginnings often lead to extraordinary endings.”

– VINCENT VAN GOGH

This is so incredibly true and wise. Brick by brick, we build and accomplish things. Too often, we tend to focus on the whole staircase and not the first step. We get deterred and scared off by the big task that lies ahead, instead of just focusing on the first brick that needs to be laid down, then the next, and the next.

I’ve often experienced that when writing, as I’m sure many of you have too.

But it becomes easier once we have the first word, then the next, and the next. Eventually, the sentence is complete. Then we move on to the next one. Then we have a paragraph. We keep going, and eventually, it’s a finished article.

Sure, it may need some polishing here and there, but that’s just part of the process. We’re often scared away by the idea of creating the perfect article from nothing. Expecting to build Rome in a day, perfectly, brick by brick. But that’s never the reality. We start by starting and allow the momentum to continue.

That’s important to me, at least, not getting in the way of the momentum. Letting it flow. Don’t stop. Let it happen. We’ll fix and polish it later.

What are your experiences like when writing?