Just Start Writing

Trying to be perfect from the beginning will only keep you from starting. And the longer you delay, the more anxious you’ll become. When I was working on my doctoral dissertation, my advisor told me something I’ll never forget:

“A good dissertation is a finished one. It’s unlikely your PhD thesis will be the greatest book of your life—so just write.”

No one writes a perfect piece from the start. If you aim too high, you’ll freeze before the first sentence. When ego, pride, or pressure creep in, the words stop flowing. Let go of the need to write the best essay or the greatest book.

Write with the mindset of practice. Be ready to revise. But first—just write.