Monday, April 13, 2009

Old Dog, New Tricks

The kids are back to school and Spring Break is over. Our lives return to the routines we've established, such as they are. And I'm feeling overwhelmed. I'd planned on getting so much done last week and I only an tenth of it done. So now I need to face that which needs to be faced.

My temptation is to put my writing aside and focus on the myriad of tasks at hand. But damn, those tasks are still going to be there tomorrow. My enthusiasm for my writing wavers. Thus I do think it is important for me to make sure I do get some writing done.

That's a big step for me. I've always been one to "reward" myself with writing. Get my chores done, get to write. But I'm finally overcoming that hangup and giving my writing the position it deserves in my life.

I don't have the luxury of spending as many hours as I'd like to it, but I sometimes think that is a good thing. If I write until I'm worn out, I might lose some of my eagerness. By forcing myself to limit how much time I spend on my manuscript, I feel like I'm saving something for the next day.

Today I'm going to need to get back into the groove. I'm discombobulated on all fronts. My writing has been compromised and my house is in disarray. None of it is serious. But I have a tendency to go into panic mode, lament about all I have to do and then get nothing done.

So here I am, an old dog trying to learn new tricks. It is not easy. Mindsets are difficult to change. But I'm going to try.

Do you have certain habits, mindsets, attitudes which you've come to realize are outdated to your life or have become counterproductive?

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