Have you ever tried taking a cold shower? Apparently, it’s all the rage these days. If you want to spend a couple of hours going down a rabbit hole, hop onto YouTube and watch a few videos where people experiment with taking cold showers and talking about the positive effects, such as helping them wake up fast or having more energy. I can tell you that it does work, even though I don’t take a cold shower very often.

If you watch any of these videos or decide to experiment with it yourself, you will find that just jumping into the cold shower, and being all-in, is a lot more effective than gradually sticking one body part in the shower at a time. It’s better just to get the discomfort over with as soon as possible and get on with the cold shower so you can experience the benefits.

The same is true for writing. Writing takes mental energy and we sometimes have trouble starting. We piddle around for a few minutes, have a few false starts, then decide the effort isn’t worth it.

Instead, treat writing like you would treat a cold shower. I like the follow the 30-Second Rule when I don’t feel motivated. The idea is just to write for 30 seconds without stopping. 30 seconds is enough time to switch your mental focus and get you into the groove a bit.

It doesn’t work to just write when you feel like it. There are a million things to distract us, a million excuses we can offer for avoiding writing. So try writing for 30 seconds to give yourself a little jumpstart when you don’t feel motivated.

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Citizen Kane is universally recognized as one of the greatest films of all time. Orson Welles and his collaborators created a masterpiece that was well ahead of its time in storytelling, cinematography, and special effects. Yet for all its achievements, it’s one of the saddest movies ever made.

The film tells the story of Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy businessman who began his career with good intentions. But over time, he tries to control everyone around him. In the end, he dies alone with a mansion full of treasures and a heart full of bitterness and regret.

In a powerful scene late in the movie, Kane’s former friend and employee Jed Leeland tells a reporter, “That’s all he ever wanted out of life, was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.”

Let me ask you a simple but profound question. Do you love to write?

We’re not talking about whether you love having written. We’re talking about the actual work of writing. Do you love the creative process? Do you love the opportunity to set down words on a page or screen, knowing they can make a difference for someone? Do you love telling a story, teaching something new, or knowing that you helped someone with your words?

If the answer is “yes”—great! If the answer is “no” or “not so much,” consider the reason why. Is it because writing is hard or unpleasant? Is it because someone long ago said you weren’t a writer? Could it be that inner critic trying to convince you that you’re not worthy?

Even if writing feels hard, and some days you don’t love it so much, remember the amazing benefits that come from writing. And keep in mind the words of Ray Bradbury, the great science fiction writer. He said, “You must write every single day of your life… You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfumes and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads… may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

One of the great ironies of Citizen Kane was that Charles Foster Kane was a newspaper publisher. He started his journey with a love of words and he used those words to serve people. But by the end, he was an empty shell of a man with no love to give. And the single word he spoke right before he died—“Rosebud”—pointed to a time in his life when he felt more secure and loved.

Today as you sit down to write, may your heart—and your pen—be filled with love.

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