Hi writer,

I’ve been slowly reading Edit Your Life by Elisabeth Sharp McKetta (slowly, yes—I normally gobble books, but when I find a book that’s chockfull of the good stuff, I like to slow down and really take my time chewing the important bits).

And this week, I was knocked out by this:

As the editors of our lives, we can adopt this clear-eyed perspective on a regular basis by asking ourselves a single question: What is my first choice? Your first choice is the one that gives you the most energy, that you are drawn innately to, and that you are willing to make sacrifices for. It is usually the intuitive choice. (p.40)

What is my first choice?

When it comes to all the things I do in my job, in my life, what’s the thing I want the most?

I want to write.

That’s the refrain of my life. But it can’t just be a refrain. It has to be the chorus, the book, the bridge, the melody, the instrumentation, the vocal choices, everything.

McKetta goes on to say,

When we distill to our first choices, we gain energy because we know what we want and need. When we clutter our lives by collecting backup plans and objects, courting the opinions of people who don’t matter to us, it exhausts us. When exhausted, we miss what matters. (p.59)

Damn.

What’s your first choice?

Why aren’t you claiming it at every chance?

Truthfully, I’m barely even asking you this. I’m asking myself this. I’m pointing all my fingers at me.

It’s so easy to let a day go without writing (and I mean a day I meant to write, not a day I knew I wouldn’t), but every time I do, I’m choosing things that are just clutter.

My first choices matter.

Remembering that I just want to write books—that writing has to come first if I’m ever to get anything done—changes things for me. I’ve written 30k words in the last two or three weeks of remembering this. It feels good.

Now. To figure out how to remember it more often.

Onward with our first choice!

love,

Rachael ❤️

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PS - Last chance for early bird pricing on Writing in the Junkyard Online Retreat! July 11 and 12 - I’d love to have you, even if you can’t come for the whole time. First choices, ahoy!

PPS - First chance for early bird pricing on The Artist’s Way Club. Want to do the Artist’s Way again (or for the first time)? Join us! Details HERE.

PPPS - Yes, there are great reasons to not claim a first choice - health crises, life upheavals, grief. In this email, I’m talking about why don’t we claim our first choice on the days we know we’ve claimed things we don’t want to spend our whole lives doing: scrolling, I’m looking at you!

PPPPS - I just like a PS. Always have, always will. You may have noticed.