Constraints can sometimes feel like the enemy

Constraints can sometimes feel like the enemy.

I love writing. When I get into a groove, I could just type on and on and on, for hours and hours. But eventually, I must stop. Because I have constraints to work with in. I mostly share my writing on Instagram which has a 1900-character limit. Which means that after I’ve had my fun putting my thoughts into narrative, I must go back and make adjustments. I must make sure the writing makes sense, I must check for grammatical errors, and I must edit it all down to fit within that 1900-character limit.

Just to give you an idea of what 1900 characters looks like, the previous two paragraphs were 562 characters (with spaces), just 109 words. It’s not much. Wouldn’t it be easier to just give myself the space to write more?

I could exclusively publish my writing in a blog. I could go on and on and on to my heart’s content without a care about how long it was. Editing time would be very limited. And then I could just publish it all and be done. Easy. Maybe there would be a lot of filler or a lot of unnecessary things that require my readers to spend more of their time reading it. Maybe it would be harder to follow, and the message might get lost. But it would be easier.

Constraints can sometimes feel like the enemy. But they are necessary to get the best writing. To create the best work. To live the best life. If we can have and do and say whatever we want, it’s easy. But it’s not good. It doesn’t make sense. Someone’s time is being wasted. The message is being lost. Unlimited doesn’t equal better.

Don’t be afraid to give your life some constraints. A budget to work within. A space to live within. A specific, focused time to work on a project. These smaller spaces are where your absolute best lives. Constraints are your friend.