Why I’m skipping 10 days of my 30-day writing challenge

During my first Ship 30 for 30 Cohort, I won’t be writing on Sundays or holidays. I’ve even built in some “skip” days.

You know, all the stuff you shouldn’t do.

So makes me so special?

I’m not trying to be disruptive, promise! I just have boundaries I can’t compromise in order to function.

In a nutshell, I’m a disabled writer writing about disability in a writing challenge that can trigger my disability.

Every disability presents differently. In my case, PTSD, anxiety, and depression mean I’m focused and happy one minute and comatose the next. And writing about them often doesn’t help.

But after years of work, I’ve got some good management systems in place. Here’re a few things I’ll be doing to keep me on track as I publish:

#1. Daily gut checks

I’ve learned to “check in” if I’m overly anxious or feel brain fog creeping in. I literally ask my gut questions until a small squeeze tells me what the trigger is.

#2. Nailing my productive time

I loved how cohort onboarding included finding our best productive times! It’s taken me 5+ years to identify mine (7:30–10am, 5–7pm) and I stick to them.

Literal lifesaver.

#3. Planning for bad days

Expecting the worst helps me get shit done! Sometimes, I just need to give myself permission to be bad at being human.

We don’t talk enough about disabilities and entrepreneurship, or how hard it can be to juggle both! I’m just grateful for this opportunity to find my voice and share it here.

Originally published on Twitter. Follow my #ship20for30 journey here and @leannalost!