I know you can spiral out of control, but how come no one talks about spiraling back into it?
As any good 80’s child knows, a spiral travels both ways, both out and in from a fixed point (thanks Spirograph!).
One of my very first blog posts talked about how progress is not a straight line, but a series of concentric circles. Well, I hate to argue with myself (who am I kidding, I love to argue with myself), but I actually think progress is more like a spiral. Somedays you move closer to your fixed point, other days circumstances (or choices, no judgement here) move you further out and away.
But you’re still always in the spiral.
Want to go down a pretty rabbit hole (or maybe, I don’t know, procrastinate writing a newsletter)? Go search up images of spirals in nature. Turns out spirals come in a wide array of styles – just like people!
In the eleven months since my debut, I have traveled in and out of my own personal spiral many times. Sometimes I’m close to the center, habits locked in, deadlines met, to do’s to-done. Other days, I’ve felt lost and adrift, further out on the wavy wild arm of my spiral, staring my existential dread right in its face.
Both are fine (It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything’s fine). I’m in a new stage of writing, which is the ‘what’s next’ stage. Looking forward, while looking back. Honing my new project while still brainstorming creative ways to talk about my finished one.
Because, like a spiral, a work is never really done, is it? Your focus will forever be moving in and out, forward and backward, between completed, and what is yet to be. Reader interests, trends -heck, even the perfect hashtag opportunity- will influence where your time needs to go. And that is when you may feel like you are spiraling out of control. When time or circumstances beyond your reach dictate what you will do. But the good news is you have the tools you need to spiral back in, when you can. You have your pencil in the hole of your spirograph, holding your stencil steady.
Everyone will have their own methods for spiraling in. For me, I start small: I breathe. I walk away for a few minutes. I write down one goal on a sticky note and then just do that (Note to self: buy stock in sticky notes).
Find what works for you: Maybe it’s breathing, maybe it’s texting a friend. Some days you may set a timer for 5 minutes or focus on writing just the next sentence. Whatever you chose, celebrate your progress, no matter how infinitesimal it may seem. Congratulate yourself for meeting each challenge head on, for spiraling back into control, and for never losing sight of the big beautiful picture.
And maybe after all is said and done, take that trip to Europe.