My fingers are in spasms because I’ve spent the last week making miniature piggies and dumplings with smiley faces that are smaller than a thumbnail. You would think that something so small would be easy but using needle tools to sculpt takes patience and steady hands. As I go through the journey of relaunching an online store, I have this familiar feeling.

It’s just like the book publishing journey and I there’s doubt. After watching all the social media, I have to fight the feeling that everything is an overnight success. Building community support of fellow writers and artists, and other fans takes time. The videos we see don’t tell you that they’ve been posting for months, or years before one went viral. Those who experience a faster success, probably had the time to post more often. Some of this is a numbers game.

Remember, this the next time you see someone posting an “I’m published” video. Those people who are most likely to give you advice probably don’t even have social media account and the last time they posted was once a month ago or longer. When you start something new, suddenly everyone has advice for you. Unless it’s coming from someone in your community who actually wants to help, put on your blinders. All of us have that part in us that’s jealous. If you don’t, then you’re not human.

Besides, it’s the universal rule that as soon as you decide to set a goal or start something new that every distraction or person who believes you can’t do something will let you know. Ignore it and keep going. This is the very reason many of us don’t finish that book. We get distracted or get stopped. Keep going and never give up.

Even if you have 5 minutes a day, that’s enough to get something done. If you keep it up, then you will probably have a book in one year. I’ve learned that when something seems impossible or the size of a mountain, I break it down to 5 minutes at a time. Making this the most focused 5 minutes of your day will help you feel like you accomplished something, and it will reward the part of your body and brain that keep resisting getting it done.

Your prompt for today is to write for 5-10 minutes from what you learned in this week’s class.

My posts are Monday through Friday.

Imagine Inspire Create: 52 Weeks of action and gratitude is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09S6XCLFY/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_Q7MHM9CFBSASDG56YMJQ

Get closer to your writing goals with my Writer’s Journal filled with writing prompts and exercises. You can find a copy at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0931QRL7C/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_VTHN0QSHXRYK6RJ1XSWQ.

~Yoon Ju