I’m still in awe that I had that much to say.

Then again, it took me five years to get here, and I probably could have done it in a shorter time frame. Oh well.

What I am proud of is that I never stopped completely. Even when I took a year off, I came back. So much life has happened over these last five years, and I’ve tried to stay open to the lessons the Lord wants to teach me through it all.

Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way.

Writing doesn’t require inspiration, but it sure helps.

What I’ve learned is that I have some control over how inspired I feel. What am I taking in? What’s feeding my mind and soul?

That matters.

If I want to create, I have to pay attention to what I’m consuming. The more I read, learn, observe, and spend time with God, the easier it is to tap into creative endeavors.

Planning helps.

A lot.

Some people can sit down and write on demand. I can sometimes do that, but having a plan makes everything easier. Keeping a running list of ideas and scheduling posts has helped me tremendously.

Always be writing.

Even if it’s only for 15 minutes.

I can write a surprising amount in 15 minutes when I actually sit down and focus. Those small pockets of time add up faster than you think.

Done is better than perfect.

I read a quote from Jerry Seinfeld that said:

“Just make it exist first. You can make it good later.”

That phrase really spoke to me.

Make it exist.

So many ideas never make it out of our heads because we spend too much time trying to perfect them. Writing is birthing ideas and putting them out into the world for people to see. You can always improve something later, but first it has to exist.

Consistency builds consistency.

I’ve done really well this year scheduling posts, and I’ve noticed something interesting. Consistency doesn’t just produce results, it produces more consistency.

The more you do something, the easier it becomes to keep doing it.

If you keep writing, you won’t run out of material.

I used to worry about this all the time.

What if I run out of things to write about?

But this year I worked on three different writing projects. I finished the first draft of my book, continued writing for the blog, and started contributing to a devotional at church.

There’s some crossover, but not much.

Being consistent has allowed the ideas to flow. One idea often leads to another, and another after that.

Make time for your gift.

I don’t always do this well.

Life gets busy, and writing can easily get pushed to the side. But I notice a difference when I make time for it. There are gifts God gives us that require intentional space to grow, and writing is one of those gifts for me.

Keep reading.

In a world full of distractions, reading books can get lost in the shuffle.

But reading helps writing. It stretches your thinking, introduces new ideas, and exposes you to different voices. The best writers are usually readers too.

Audience doesn’t matter as much as obedience.

This may be the biggest lesson of all.

For a long time, I worried about whether people would read my work. How many views would it get? Would people share it? Would it resonate?

Those things are nice, but they aren’t the point.

This is my gift, and I trust that it will get to the right people as long as I’m obedient in using it.

My job is to write. God can handle the reach.

I hope it doesn’t take me another five years to get to 600, but priorities change and life happens.

I remember hearing Joyce Meyer say she wanted to write 100 books, and she didn’t start until she was around my age. Forty.

I don’t want to write 100 books, but I do want my work to be consumed by as many people as possible. More importantly, I want to faithfully use what God has given me.

Three hundred posts later, I think the biggest lesson is simple:

Just keep showing up.

Keep showing up when you’re inspired.

Keep showing up when you’re tired.

Keep showing up when life gets busy.

Keep showing up when nobody seems to be paying attention.

Keep showing up when you’re not sure what to say.

Because sometimes the accomplishment isn’t the number of posts.

Sometimes the accomplishment is becoming someone who keeps writing.

Until next time,

Dominique