An Impossible Feat

One day, many years ago, I told myself that I would one day write and publish a novel. While I seem to tell myself this same tale each year, it has yet to happen, beginning with step one: finish writing a novel.

Starting is not the issue - on the contrary, I have many ideas gone half-started - but the act of following through and completing with any creative pursuit that is not dictated by my academics or professional life is truly a difficult thing. I find that this is not a novel issue (no pun intended), but a longstanding one that has stopped me from going after many things in life that I have acquired interests for. While it is surely not worth all the time it would take to explore every interest that is expressed in a fleeting moment, those that stick around in my mind are surely worth exploring, and this particular goal has been around for nearly a decade.

In this year of our lord 2021, I want to finally cast aside each of the excuses that I have used. Here is a short list of some excuses in case you might find yourself falling into these same traps, along with the breakdown of why each of these excuses no longer suits me:

- I don't have enough time.

If I am able to make enough time in the day to read books, or watch a movie I've already seen, or sit and scroll through the endless pages of the Internet, then I have time for a passion.

- I am not talented enough.

At this rate of writing nothing, I will never grow to become talented. I can't expect to be amazing in my early days, and so I need to dedicate time to the craft in order to become skilled.

- No one will read it.

First of all, I have a loving partner who would read anything I wrote, as well as a few friends and family who would eagerly support this endeavor. Secondly, the goal is not for others to read, but to have completed the task.

- What's the point?

Many justifications can work - today, here's what suits me: I want to complete it for the sake of completing it, I want to get these stories onto paper that have hidden in my brain for years, I want to see certain stories on my shelves and so I will write them into existence, and because I said so.

So, I implore you to look inward and see - what are your excuses and what justifications can you answer them with? Do you want to answer them? Are there external forces keeping you from your goals (there are such cases, not to be taken lightly) or are there ways in which you are keeping yourself back?

There may be things that we deem impossible, like writing a novel, or climbing Everest. The strange thing is: these things have been done before, or will be completed in the future. Strive for the impossible, because in my personal experience, if you don't try you have the most longing of regrets - regret for potential. I deem this regret to be that which causes us to regret all the possibilities we ignored, all the actions we didn't choose, all the paths that have gone untraveled.

Try something new, or something old, and achieve the impossible.

A Woman of the Modern Renaissance