Sometimes you need a push to get started.

Fortunately, I found the encouragement I needed with Javacia Harris Bowser, whom I met at an NFPW conference in Alabama. She recently led the “Write Start 21-Day Challenge,” which was designed to help participants uncover confidence, commitment and creativity to develop a daily writing habit.

I confess that there were a few days in which I did not get to the challenge on the day it happened. I would catch up the next day. And that’s okay because sometimes things don’t work as planned. The key is to keep moving forward.

Javacia encouraged us to create a morning ritual that would include writing. That didn’t work for me because I already have a morning routine that helps me set my intentions for the day. I elected to complete her challenges in the evening.

I had always thought that writing at the end of a full work day would not be possible. Instead, I discovered the time was ideal for me. I did more writing in the 21 days than I had in the previous three months. And I’m still writing! (This post was written in the evening.)

Writing requires a commitment and, if it’s important, Javacia said, “You have to make the time to do it.” In a blog post Why Writers Should Write Every Day she offers reasons to write every day.

She also stressed that being a professional writer means writing even when you don’t feel like it. I set daily and weekly writing goals. I also appreciated Javacia pointing out that we can’t wait for inspiration to hit us. She cited early American author Jack London, who said, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.”

As a result of the Write Start 21-Day Challenge I

• Developed a habit of writing daily.
• Created a long list of potential topics.
• Identified prompts to inspire me.

I know this was a lot of work on Javacia’s part. Thank you Javacia for the inspiration, the creativity and the confidence!