I worked hard all day. So, why, at 5 p.m. did I feel like such a failure?

It actually didn’t take me very long to come up with the answer.

My father’s words echoed through my brain: “…never bite off more than you can chew.”

Whereas I usually can write and polish four to five scenes, today I pushed myself to write an entire chapter. I had gone for length, pushed past a comfortable pace, and ended my day frustrated because the quality I expected from myself just wasn’t there.

Each of us come to know what we are capable of (many of you can easily write a chapter or more) and when we push ourselves past it, we end up feeling defeated.

I guess I just wanted to see if I could do it.

I learned a lesson.

Everyone has their limits.

Don’t beat yourself up if you aren’t as prolific as others you know. If you’re like me, remind yourself that, like the turtle, “slow and steady wins the race.”

If you’re capable of writing more, go for it. You’ll write two or three books to my one.

But if we keep at it, we’ll both cross the finish line.