For months now, every night I have laid my head on my pillow with one nagging confession.   “God, I feel like I’m late.”

Life has felt overwhelming, and I’ve felt behind in every area of my life.  Yesterday, I read something on the Compel Pro Writer’s Training platform where I take writing classes. It reminded me of one simple truth.  When my writing life feels overwhelming, I can take it a few minutes at a time.

When my children were young I discovered the Flylady website, and that was the first place I learned about the fifteen minute timer.  Flylady helps people deal with clutter, but the 15 minute principle can be applied to many things.  When you have a task before you that feels overwhelming, break it down into bite sized chunks, she recommends 15 minutes.

Somewhere around 2021 I was introduced to Learn Do Become.  Their mission statement is: “We help people who are overwhelmed by the details of life to create simple systems so they can do what matters most.“  It was through this program that I learned the root cause of some of my challenges. It opened my eyes and gave me self compassion.

Yesterday I was reminded of a blog post I wrote called, I Can Do Anything for 15 Minutes.   I wrote that post because I wanted to show up on my blog.  At the time a lot of doors were closing in my face.  My road in life was getting narrow.  When I looked around the only way that I could clearly see available for me to move forward in any area of my life was writing on this blog.  This path looked like a mountain I didn’t want to climb.  I didn’t know if I could climb the mountain, but I knew I could at least show up for 15 minutes at a time.

My blogging journey eventually turned into a book publishing path.  Have you ever tried to show up to something you weren’t quite prepared for?    Transitions are hard, and I didn’t make the transition well.  I learned that sometimes you get trampled on the path to publishing.

It was like being thrust into a real life King of the Hill game.   One day I was working on the  mountain God assigned me to and suddenly without warning I was in the battle of my life.  I landed in the valley of humiliation, licking my wounds and crying.

Today, I’m writing from ground zero.  The Lord picked me up, comforted me, and pointed a big red arrow to the Called Creatives Getaway 2026.  He knows exactly how to take care of his children.  The Getaway was in North Carolina and I had exactly zero dollars to get there.  Sometimes God knows you need a new interim challenge, and that’s what he did for me. He took me by the hand and gave me a path out.

One of my main takeaways from the Called Creatives Getaway was that if I wanted to go anywhere with my writing life, then I was going to have to climb cringe mountain.  I needed to hear that because the thing about cringe mountain is that you could fall.  And last year I did fall.

Our lives are made up of moments, and even small steps consistently applied will get you going somewhere.   Is there something in your life that you don’t know how to conquer?  Is there a project so big it causes you to feel overwhelmed and leaves you with analysis paralysis? What is your cringe mountain?  Do you think you could climb it fifteen minutes at a time?

I’m not going to just leave it there with those questions because I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that sometimes we cannot just plow through.  Sometimes we are carrying something really heavy.  I personally have been walking through some very deep grief. I have survived the most difficult year of my life.  I’m including a video called, You Love Writing, so why can’t you do it?  It talks about how some writers don’t have a consistency problem, and gets into what’s really going on. I needed to hear that because right now I need a jump start.

I’m starting an acorn campaign.  Every big thing starts small.  Last year I reached out to a family member for help, and now I pass those same words on to you. “I’m broken. I need prayers, love, and sponsors. I feel like I have been cut down to start all over! I need support. Trail Blazers don’t thrive without support.I need people to invest in me. I’m not going to make it without hugs, people with skin in the game who show up with endcouragement, kind words, financial support, and good deeds. Please consider being a regular supporter. I can’t operate with a broken heart. I can’t sustain my ministry on my own. It is as if I am carrying crosses other than my own. I need help!”

I ask you to prayerfully consider investing in me.  My family appreciates every ounce of support.