If you’ve ever struggled to produce Thought Leadership content — even if you know your material backwards and forwards — you’re not alone.
But it’s still awful, isn’t it?
Writer’s block is painful!
Just so we’re clear, writer’s block is when you go to produce content and you don’t know what to write (or say). Some people suffer though it for an hour or two, while others have it for years.
If you’ve been procrastinating and not getting that book, article, blog post, or podcast started…
Congratulations, you’ve got it!
I almost never experience writer’s block anymore, but I can remember staring at the blank document, wanting to just get something done.
I felt like an idiot. Like I had forgotten everything I’d ever known.
It makes you start to question whether you’re even smart enough to bother with any of this stuff.
Not to mention the time you’re wasting.
Sometimes, writer’s block is due to a health issue or a major life event, like losing someone you love or other big change.
But generally, writer’s block is due to one one or two things:
Either you haven’t been reading enough, or your reading has been all about one thing.
When your cerebral cortex isn’t getting enough input to chew on and come up with new ideas, or to remind you of old ones, the limbic system takes over (and that’s where the emotions live).
That is a bad thing.
Don’t worry about producing something right now. Branch out and read something for fun, or something that you wouldn’t normally read. Go for a walk or take a shower. Or both.
Bonus Tip: Keep a reading journal. Not a diary, but more like a commonplace book, with quotes and ideas (both your ideas and those of the authors you read).
If you’re wondering what to read on the subject of Thought Leadership, boy do I have a treat for you: I’ve got a book coming out soon. So stay tuned.
Good News!
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