The hardest part of any Step work for me is starting my writing sessions. Once I get started, I usually have the momentum to continue because I know I’m doing a good thing for myself—like someone with a heart condition cutting down on salt. So to help myself get started, I often work for just ten minutes, since that’s a reasonably short amount of time. I sit in front of the blank sheet of paper with all the tools I need (pens, books, papers), set my wristwatch timer, and begin.

When the ten-minute alarm sounds, I stop writing and the session is over. If I feel motivated to continue writing, I do so. The only requirement for me is to spend the ten minutes.

If I haven’t been able to write anything at all during the time, that’s okay. If all I’ve been able to do is just think about what to write, or remember where I left off in my previous session, that’s okay too. At least I’m actively engaged in doing some work, versus none. Sometimes I’ll start reading something (like “Bill’s Story”) to get motivated and then, if I get inspired by it, put it down and start writing. I still use this little trick and it has worked well for me.