You Just Have To Write

Since the end of May, I've lost 30 pounds, 5 inches on my waist, and have gone from not even being able to sustain a run for for an entire mile to being able to run 4.5 miles (my longest so far this summer!) without stopping.  Sure, my pace sucks, but I'm progressing and getting better every day.

The funny thing is that when it comes to losing weight, we're always looking for ways to do it faster.  We talk about different crazy diets, cleanses, exercise routines. We're always looking for the easiest route.  That includes me.

But when it comes down to it, the only way I've ever been able to lose weight and get in shape over the last ten years is to eat less and exercise more.  I've tried diets that tell me to eat like a caveman, I've gone vegan (worst two weeks of my life), and I've tried eating nothing but meat (yuck!).  But those things are only gimmicks.  They don't address the simple math that governs our bodies.  Calories in must be less than calories out for weight loss.  Which means eating less and exercising more.

And, for some reason, I'm always shocked when it works.  Yesterday was laundry day, and I tried to put on a pair of shorts I'd just worn to visit my brother in Seattle, and they were huge.  I could have easily fit half of a watermelon in there with me.  But the simple truth is that losing weight is easy if you put in the work.

Writing is the same way.  I often hear people discussing ways to write—programs they can use or methods they can try.  But the only definite way to write a book is to sit in a chair and write.  Put one word after the other.  String sentences into paragraphs, paragraphs into pages.  There are no tricks, no gimmicks that will make you write.  You just have to put your butt in the chair and write.

It seems so simple that people often assume there's more to it, and even I'm still astounded when I type the last word on a page and realize I've written a whole book, but it really is that easy.

Like losing weight, it takes time and dedication, but that's how you get it done.