Habit Forming

It has been a minute or three since I wrote anything on a regular, daily basis. I stopped writing in my novels around the time I started actually living life instead of living vicariously through my characters. Instead of noveling, I shifted to only journaling while I navigated – both internally and externally – life and its many opportunities for experiences and growth. (Journaling on a regular basis is highly recommended on multiple fronts.)

Unfortunately, I eventually ceased journaling as well. My only creative, writing outlet was the occasional bout of NaNoWriMo, or some blogs and character studies. Eventually that too faded away, and I didn’t seem to truly notice how it affected my attitude and outlook – or how I interacted with life and those around me because of losing that internal conversational tool with myself and with God.

Recently I have finally begun noticing a darker and less engaging self when compared to the person I was while writing on a regular basis. I’m not as happy or content. I don’t have anything exciting to talk about, even though I know others look at me with an odd expression on their faces because I would speak of my characters as if they were alive (which, of course, we all know they are!).

So, because it takes 30 days to create a habit, I’ve decided to start this 30-day journey back into daily writing by Journaling; taking time to write about “honest introspection” so that I can start growing again. I’m not certain, yet, if I will start fiction-writing within the 30-days, or if that will be a 2nd 30-day writing habit goal once this first goal has been met. It’s 30-days to make a good habit at the same time we struggle through the 30-days to break a bad one.

This should be interesting.