The trail of unfinished thoughts

Where does the road lead to

Writing an analysis often feels like walking a narrow road that is surrounded by bushes and ravines, one that bends and disappears just as you think you know where it is going. You follow what feels like a clear path, only to find yourself hesitating. Looking back. Deleting. Rewriting a sentence you’ve already moved past. 

The fear of sending it too soon

I often pause, too long, before sending a draft. Not because I haven't worked on it, but because it still feels incomplete, with things missing. I worry the argument is too loose, the structure too fragile, my points don't make sense. What if it is too early to send? How long can I wait? What counts as satisfactory? And the questions can continue, but the thing is there is no good answer for this. And the analysis is exactly that: the slow process of figuring things out and not presenting something that is finished. I don't know if it is the case for you, but I know this already. Actually doing it is what's hard. That pause before sending can last forever because it is about fear and being vulnerable. 

Walking with others

I am working on letting someone else read my unfinished drafts, inviting them onto my road. I trust that if I get too close to the ravine, they can pull me back to the middle of the path. They can notice things you missed, remind you that walking in the bushes can be a detour full of surprises. It is about walking together. 
Analysis is not a clear path. It is a series of steps, some firm, others uncertain. But every time I send a draft, even when I hesitate, I take one more step forward.