About 2 years ago, I started work on a new novel. Just a goofy story. It was fun to write, and I made good progress. I ended up with 30k words—a quarter of a small book. And then I just...stopped. I wasn’t sure why. Just put it down. If I wanted to do this so badly, why was it so painful to actually doit?

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I started working with Jessi 6 months ago. It was my 29th birthday, and I decided I needed a swift kick if I was (ever) going to get anywhere. I thought maybe some accountability would keep me motivated. I was expecting a drill sergeant, somebody to yell at me to write, dammit, write! Jessi is so much different than that. She took the time to get to know me and my project, what made me tick, what worked for me and—more importantly—what didn't. We spent the first months on basics, creating a routine to support deep work. I was kind of frustrated—I felt like the Karate Kid doing wax-on-wax-off, wondering when I was going to do the real work. I wanted that instant pay-off, not a bunch of basics I already knew.

Thing is, I DIDN'T know the basics. At least, I wasn't DOING them, because after a few months of working with Jessi, I started to hit a rhythm. Jessi helped me let go of the fear and focus on the things I CAN control, like getting weekly progress. She helped me set long term goals and reachable milestones while maintaining a routine to avoid burnout. We built a strategy I could stick with, and I've been working steadily since then. I'm not sure I’ll have the first draft 100% by the end of the year like I wanted, but it's going to be close. I'm looking forward to starting my 30’s with (finally!) a solid start on this goal I've held in my heart for 20 years.