“When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” ?Dr. Wayne Dyer
I love this bit of wisdom from Doc Dyer. You’ve experienced this, yes? That when you change your perspective, everything feels different.
I’ve got a very-easy-to-implement way you can use this kind of thinking to change your perspective in your writing so you can get unstuck.
Wait, but DO we need a perspective change in writing?
Here’s a handy-dandy quick quiz to find out:
- Have you been staring at the same paragraph for eons, unable to think of how to shape it into what you’re trying to say?
- Have you been staring down a blank screen, paralyzed about how to begin writing?
- Have you opened your Google Doc several times, only to find yourself checking your email?
If you answered in the affirmative to even one of those questions, a perspective change would do you good.
Think of it this way: “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” ? Some dude whose name is synonymous with genius.
Ready for a simple way to get back your writing flow?
Change Location
Change your location. Pick up your laptop or your notebook and take it somewhere else.
Don’t make this complicated. You can simply swivel 90 degrees or move to the other side of the desk or table you’re sitting at. That will change your perspective. You’ll be looking at something different over the top of your screen. The light will change slightly.
If it’s available to you, walk to a different room in your house or co-working space and plop your writing down there. Before you dive in, take note of any changes. Maybe the light, ambient sounds or air quality is slightly different.
If you’re really stuck, experiment with leaving your location altogether. Head to a coffee shop, or a library. Move from home to your co-working space or vice versa.
This isn’t about stalling but about listening to your brain. Its uncooperative-ness is a signal of something.
Make Your Brain Happy
You may have heard me refer to the drafting part of the brain as a five-year-old child. It’s wildly creative, impulsive, and delighted by ideas that pop out of the blue and course through her like electricity. She’s also a bit stubborn and easily bored.
And that’s her prerogative as the center of your creative mojo, right? Doesn’t she have the right to tell you that your surroundings simply aren’t stimulating enough for her creative needs?
I think so. Because whatever metaphor you use to describe it, there’s a part of your brain that you’re asking to create something out of nothing! To turn blank page into brilliant prose. (Or at least prose that will be brilliant once your revising brain has had a whack at it.)
Creating something worthwhile takes effort and energy.
You can discount this. You can sit in the same place and force yourself to pound the keys and hope for the best.
Or you can take the path of least resistance.
Move some place that draws you. Maybe it’s near a window with a bit of sunlight. Maybe it’s into a room farther away from the traffic of the street. Maybe it’s simply anywhere but “here” because you’ve been “here” for a bit and now you associate it with the feeling of being stuck.
Leave Icky Feelings Behind
Have you ever had a restless night of sleep, tossing and turning? You roll from one side to the other to your back to your stomach. And whatever position you take, it feels stale.
When this happens, have you ever tried sleeping upside down on your bed, with your head at the foot of the bed? Or moved to your couch or guest room? It works brilliantly in my experience.
It’s as if when you change locations, you leave behind all the negative associations of feeling stale and stuck in the old location.
For your writing, changing locations is also a reminder to stand up, take a breath, and stretch for a moment. Those are great additions to your writing repertoire as well. 😉
Try this out. Where do you feel called to move to? What is the path of least resistance.
✨What’s your go-to second location?
✨ Where can you move to that gives you an instant perspective shift?
✨ What spot makes you feel freer, calmer, or more inspired?
Did you like this method? It’s only one of 25 ideas that serve as first aid for writing resistance that you’ll find in Blogging Flow, the membership program for business owners who want to produce high-quality content consistently without feeling like it’s a slog. You can learn more about Blogging Flow here.