Or lack thereof.

I set a personal goal to write something—anything—every week. I’ve failed. Writing is not easy. I always thought writers were like magicians, waving a wand and effortlessly pouring words out from their souls. I still don’t know if that’s true because, clearly, I’m not a writer. But seriously, how hard is it to stay consistent with anything?

According to my friend Google (which, by the way, is being forced to sell Chrome to curb their search engine monopoly), the Japanese have this thing called Kaizen. It’s about improving a little every day—starting small, like doing something for just 5 minutes, and gradually building on that. The focus is consistency, not perfection, and the small steps eventually add up.

So, here I am, starting again with 15 minutes of writing. Granted, as a mom, finding uninterrupted time is nearly impossible. Little ones have a way of inserting themselves into every “quiet” moment. But I’m here, giving it another shot with an honest try.

I have piles of unfinished journals filled with goals, “stories,” and even outlines for a book I’ve wanted to write since I was 14. Twenty years later (oh, how time compounds), and I still haven’t published the book. My book.

If you’ve made it this far, what works for you? Share your techniques with this miserable wannabe writer who’s buried under the roles of mother, daughter, wife, and professional—and just wants to be a writer.