Why I can quit smoking but cannot finish my novel, yet
Eleven years ago, I quit smoking. As a heavy smoker at the time, my success in quitting smoking surprised many people.
And I’m still committed to not smoking, to this day.
For me, that is a big achievement in life.
I usually smoked 2 packs a day. Then I did not smoke even one cigarette on the first day I decided to quit smoking, and it was going on and on until now.
After a few years and I was still not tempted to go back to smoking, I thought: if I can successfully quit smoking, I should be successful in other things too.
Write a novel, for example.
Well, about this writing thingy .…
I love writing since I was young. In 2005, my friends and I published an indie novel with the editor Bondan Winarno. After we published our collaborative novel, I quit my job to become a writer — yeah, silly, I know. I hung around for six months without a job, then became a corporate slave again — and during that six months gap, I did not finish any writings.
But the desire to write is always there.
I don’t know if my friends only please me when they say, “I love your writing.” But I believe what they say, so I keep writing.
Still, I haven’t finished a single novel yet.
I have written several drafts, though I am not sure where I keep them.
There are always a few new ideas that come and go. Most of which ended up in the draft folder.
And this question always follows me: if I can quit smoking, why can’t I finish my novel?
I understand these are two different things.
But does not it end up being the same, which is, successful in doing something?
First, I managed to quit smoking.
The other one, I need to manage to finish writing my novel.
Why am I successful at one and failing on the other?
Mind you, quitting smoking is difficult.
Only 7% of those who had the intention, managed to quit smoking.
In fact, without cessation support, the success rate is 4%.
So, I should be proud to be part of that tiny portion who has successfully quit smoking.
I thought, if I can conquer such a tough challenge, I should be able to conquer other challenges too.
Apparently not as easy as it sounds.
My novel is far from finish.
Why?
If I think about it further, quitting smoking is the same as quitting a bad habit.
And writing a novel includes good habits, writing regularly, continuously, and unceasingly.
Maybe that’s my weakness.
I have no habits, no persistence, and easily give up.
Quitting smoking does not cause me to have new habits.
But to write a novel, I have to have a new habit. That’s what I seem to be missing.
It is not enough to have enthusiasm to succeed, but it needs more than that. Like, technical and mental preparation as a writer.
Maybe I should give it another shot. Shall I finish my novel by the end of this year?
Godspeed.
