I’m a perfectionist. A bit of a neat freak. An over-analyzer.

So when I dive into something, I dive all the way. For writing, I took classes, read blogs, joined writers groups, attended conferences, wrote my little fingers off, social network-ed, created a website, blog weekly… So why am I not published? Why aren’t you seeing my mug all over the place?

Well, it doesn’t work that way. There are thousands of writers, millions of books and countless blogs that create the sea of content that I have to fight my way to find my own place in.

So I’ve been perfecting and over-analyzing what my niche really is. Really, shouldn’t I be able to “think” my way out of this?

No. Not really.

My dear friend and fellow blogger, Caitlin Muir, set me straight. As I was lamenting my uncertainty over the theme/future of my blog, she plainly said. “Here’s what I think. We’re 25. We not supposed to have it all together yet.”

A weight lifted off my shoulders. She is so right. I can’t compare myself to writers who have been doing this longer. To bloggers who have the life experience and knowledge that make them worth reading. I’m just not there yet. And I can’t force it. This is a learning experience and I have to pay my “dues.”

So if you’re like me, and you don’t have it all together yet, don’t be dismayed. No matter your age or journey in life, you just have to continue on. Woody Allen said life is 80 percent just showing up. So just worry about that. The rest will fall together if you’re diligent and loyal to your passion. (At least, that’s my theory. I’ll let you know in ten years or so if that has worked out at all…)