#75: It takes practice.

A few weeks ago, I competed in an open water swim with my family.

The race spanned five kilometers across a series of connected lakes in Michigan. Because this would be the longest distance I’d ever swum competitively, I began training months in advance. 

The act of jumping in the cold water and swimming never got easier. But it did become a habit. A part of my routine. And I did all of this, over and over, because I knew that if I didn’t, the race would be a flaming pot of misery.

This mindset is similar to the one I have toward my writing practice. I think back on the years of sitting at my desk as a blank Word doc loomed over me. I think about how many versions of my book proposal I wrote before it started to come together. I think about the late nights in my dark basement office, fingers poised on the keyboard, hoping each sentence brought me closer to something brilliant. 

But that’s the thing about both writing and swimming. You have to keep going. You may need to put lots of pages or laps behind you in order to get to the polished work or the fast race time. 

You’ll be thrilled to hear that the race preparation paid off. I won my age group (!!!) and have been wearing the free race t-shirt like a badge. My hip flexors like creaky hinges for the following week and my arms were useless. I didn’t care. I was really proud of myself. 

But I also realized that the training and work that it took to pass the finish line provided a different sense of accomplishment. Maybe that’s why writing something I’m proud of feels good, too. I wouldn’t have arrived without the deleted paragraphs and run-on sentences and moody diary entries.

All of this is to say: Accomplishments rarely come without the hours and hours of hard work.

That’s something worth celebrating. 

Easy to find myself among the race photos thanks to my tattoo, but as my friend pointed out, I look totally naked here lol

In other news, I return to my hometown of Charlotte, NC on September 19th with my final book tour stop of 2024! The event will take place at Queens University in the very auditorium I once performed in as an elementary school student. Register for free here!