Last week, my three-year-old asked for chips and guacamole for lunch. You might think, “That’s not a good lunch,” but this is how cute he is, so we basically let him have whatever he wants:

I pulled out avocados and Eli had a mini freak out. “No! I said guacamole! Not avocados!”

I explained that I always make his guacamole with avocados, and that everything was going to be fine. He looked doubtful, but he was more interested in playing with trains than watching me make lunch, so he left. When he came back later, he was delighted that there were no more avocados in the kitchen, just guacamole.

I chuckled about this throughout the day, but I also felt the weight of the lesson in there. I started thinking about how many times I just want the finished product—the published book, the deep friendship, the thriving children—and yet I bemoan the ingredients themselves.

Yes, I want to build close friendships, and yet I find myself resisting the “inconveniences” that are necessary for doing just that. I’m totally here for you … unless it requires actually getting on the phone (can’t we just text?) or me putting aside my to-do list.

Or for our purposes today, books. I want that beautiful, finished book. I want the gorgeous cover, the glowing reviews, and the glamorous book tour. But I’m quick to groan about the ingredients that I don’t like: writing hook sentences, coming up with titles, doing book surgery on a manuscript that doesn’t yet work, figuring out how to squeeze in writing time during the summer. I don’t want those avocados, thank you very much. Just give me that guacamole, already!

And the ingredient that none of us like very much? Time.

Anything worthwhile in our life involves an investment of time. Quality relationships, skills like playing an instrument/painting/fixing cars, education, and so forth.

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going,” opera singer Beverly Sills said, and I believe that wholeheartedly. I’ve seen that proven true over and over in my writing. Yes, we might become more skilled or efficient in our processes, but writing a book is always going to take an investment of time. There will always be ingredients we don’t particularly like on their own, but if we can stick it out through those pieces, we will get the reward of our finished book at the end.

Is there a part of writing that you don’t enjoy, or that feels insurmountably difficult? While right now for me it’s the balance of motherhood and writing, it used to be writing an entire book, and then it became writing a book that was long enough to be considered a novel. I would love to hear what it is for you!