About 9 years ago, I started writing a book but then stopped. When I tried to pick it up again, I couldn’t figure out how to continue. What thread could I grasp to dive back into that tangle? Day after day tried, but never managed. I abandoned the book.
Later, I had a lot more ideas that just came to me on their own. Each time, I put off writing them down, only jotting down the basic idea. And then I couldn’t continue to work on them. It felt like I stood before a sheer cliff with no ledge to grab onto to make the move.
A few months ago, some bold ideas came to me. That was unique, powerful statements. I shared them with some close friends whose opinions I value.
All of them said they’d be interested in reading it, and the material could be significant. One of the friends even told me: “Please, write it down just like that — exactly how you told me. I want others to get it the way I did.”
I strongly decided I had to do it. But after then, I had a lot of work to-do, so I limited myself to noting the core ideas and table of contents in my Notion. A couple of days ago, I finally found time and decided to return to the material. I spent about 3 hours staring at the screen of my laptop. And I couldn’t write a single sentence that sparked even a hint of excitement, or at least self-satisfaction. I tried different approaches:
- Writing slowly, thinking over each next sentence;
- Writing quickly, pouring everything out and editing later for valuable insights;
- Writing by hand, engaging different parts of my brain in the process.
None of the approaches worked. I stood before the same cliff, and again, there wasn’t a single ledge for me. I don’t know why, but this time it hit me. After all, I vividly remembered my friend’s words. The formed ideas still seemed bold and interesting to me. And this led me to reflect on the fact that making art and acting overall must have straightforward connection to the moment. There’s a right time for everything, and you need to feel it.
Feel the Moment
The best and and most valuable texts I’ve ever written were always written spontaneously, in the moment. They weren’t refined. They weren’t thought out. They were simply written.
Those messages didn’t just convey meaning. They carried feeling, my energy, the imprint of the moment, and something else – something only soul can feel.
Sometimes they were just phone calls. Sometimes unexpected messages early in the morning, when I had to wake up at 4 a.m. to catch a train to another city. In that moment, from out of the blue, strong feeling hits: how to express in two sentences what I couldn’t say for years. Those two sentences are enough. They convey everything needed.
I want to say that the moment plays a crucial role here. Right now, in this very moment, I feel a resonance, something has inspired certain thoughts in me. II can’t pinpoint what it was. A morning post, a video I watched during a lunch, or maybe someone’s conversation where I saw myself in their words. But now, everything has come together. And thoughts flow like a river. Should I put this off again “to think about”?
This is exactly the mistake I’ve made countless times. Now, finally, I understand. Writing this post only confirms it. The words come on their own. I’ve been writing for just 20 minutes, and I’m pleased with every sentence. And that’s enough, as long as I don’t put it off “to think about.”
Other Thought
I wonder: are the ideas described above applicable to other areas of life? Are we missing something important if we’re not in touch with the moment?
This whole text has been written in one go. So, something clicked in me right now. I recalled an old article written by Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz. Here’s the link: https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_personal_productivity.html, he starts with a bold claim:
Let’s start with a bang: don’t keep a schedule.
I’m totally serious. If you pull it off—and in many structured jobs, you simply can’t—this simple tip alone can make a huge difference in productivity.
By not keeping a schedule, I mean: refuse to commit to meetings, appointments, or activities at any set time in any future day.
As a result, you can always work on whatever is most important or most interesting, at any time.
This article was written in 2007, but recently on Joe Rogan’s podcast, he say exactly same ideas again. So, over 19 years, Marc Andreessen has only become more convinced of this.
And it seems this is exactly what I’ve come to in my own way. Work on what’s most important or most interesting at any given moment.
It’s great that I reached the same conclusions myself. Lived experience always carries more weight than something heard outside. Now this is my experience too.
P.S.
Just remembered that in my Notion, there was a table where I’ve been putting down ideas for the future posts. There are probably already about 200 of them. How many have I published? Zero. How many do I feel connected to today? I’m pretty sure, zero.
I think I’ll go and apply this new experience and delete that table once and for all.
Feel the moment, and cheers!