The Power of a Commitment

First published on August 10, 2017

Here's my writing practice. Get on the train. Write for 12 minutes. Proof read once. Publish.

But it starts with a commitment. On the surface level, the commitment is to post one article per week written on the train between Waterloo and Clapham Junction. On a deeper level, it's a commitment to beating Resistance, and getting more of me and my art out into the world. And underneath that is a commitment to finding a way for my Higher Self to express itself. Although I couldn't have told you all that when it started. All I could have told you is that I need a series of tricks to get me out of my head, and stop me from getting in my own way: getting in the way of creating, of sharing any part of myself with the world. Those tricks started with a commitment, and continued by committing to that, deciding to commit to it, every week, every day. 

Sometimes it works better than others. It allows me to say more than I thought I knew. This happened last time I wrote. I didn't really know what I was going to write about, beyond an instinct that there was something important about making decisions. 

But something came out which I was really proud of. Which people have responded to. So my commitment is renewed. This is going to be tough in August. I won't be on the same train because they're doing some almighty improvements at Waterloo. The practice have have to evolve. And that's risky. 

Resistance can't cope with the kind of discipline, commitment and routines that make the train writing practice. But it thrives on the times when we waver. The diets given up after birthdays, the exercise regimes stopped after injury or holiday. So here's another accident that I didn't meant to write about. I have to commit now, now that I've realised what could happen here. I have to tie myself to another month of writing at the very least. I'll write a post a week through August. They might be longer than 12 minutes, because they won't be on the same journey. But they'll be there. 

And if I don't commit, they won't happen. 

What will you commit to this month? What will you create? And how will you share it?

Because as Seth says, it's not art until you ship it.