What rule could you break?

This blog is a bit of an experiment with Seth’s Godin’s assertion that writer’s block doesn’t exist.

Can I fit writing a post into my already full days? Will I come up with an idea soon enough and write fast enough so that it doesn’t endanger my other priorities?

For the last 69 days the answer has been yes. But today I got stuck.

Here’s how I got free:

First I stopped and felt into the stuck place. What do I notice? What was I feeling when I abandoned false start after false start? I had a felt sense that I had made some rules for myself. Rules around what I should write. What someone might want to read. What would be of service to the reader.

All noble intentions, and yet they were keeping me from writing at all, so they had to go. And as soon as I dropped the rules, I noticed this post taking shape.

So it raised a question for me: How often do rules get in my way without my knowing? When I get stuck in a decision, or I’m not moving forward on a project despite knowing what I need to do next, could I ask, “What rule is stopping me?” And then try breaking it.

Rules are great at keeping us safe, but they can also hold us back when what we really need to be doing is taking a risk. Where do you feel stuck in your work? Are there rules that you set for yourself, that you could break?