All of a sudden, there seems to be too many things to do. It’s not like there isn’t always something pressing but sometimes, like in recent months, there just seems to be an overabundance of to-do’s on my list. I cross off one and add three more.
Blogging has taken a hit. So has my everyday writing. I’ve not been able to get a word onto the page in… too long. I haven’t been able to shut out the world for even a few minutes in order to gather my story thoughts and move forward.
I’m a thinker. When I ‘see’ my story, I feel the story and then I can write the story. Lately, however, life has gotten in the way and I’ve been unable to spend uninterrupted ‘think-time’ with my characters. Dang it all. lol.
Every time I complain, however, I consider how fortunate I am. Yes. I’d love a free hour or so per day to simply sit and write, but I’m surrounded by family, most of us healthy, and we’re employed. We’re not in danger of losing our home and our health insurance is… while obscenely expensive… paid monthly with money we purposely set aside.
The positive thoughts have not helped to get my story written, but they help to keep me from drowning in the wallow pool.
Have you experienced the same thing – lately or in the past? How did you catch up? Or did you even try? Sometimes I think I should just plow ahead, focus on what needs to be done and… eventually… I’ll have time to do what I want to do.
I totally understand what you’re saying. I feel that way too much of the time. I go through the “you’re never too old to run away from home” syndrome where I just want to leave everything behind and start new somewhere else, fresh. It’s usually followed by the “okay, just suck it up (SIU) and tackle one thing at a time” phase, which usually goes pretty well. Although, I have to admit that the SIU stage sometimes has moments where other things come in to my mind (you know, things to add to the already too long list of things to do) and I’ll literally be waving my hands in front of me trying to wave away the thoughts so I can focus on the task at hand.
Maybe one day I’ll be all caught up. 🙂
I love the idea of SUI. Sometimes tackling that long to-do list seems to be the only way to free my mind so I can write. So today–with a first draft completed–I am going to start ticking off things on that long neglected list. One thing about it is I will soon be ‘distracted’ by the idea of starting a new story. So it’s not all bad. LOL”
Linda
Debbie, yessiree, I share your time constraint dilemma. Ha ha, Laura, what a great idea to run away from home; then maybe our families would realize all we do for them. Linda, you are sooo disciplined; no wonder you are a prolific writer. During the holidays, my writing will not be a top priority. Instead of concentrating on my two works-in-progress, I will concentrate on my to-do list:
1). Getting the house spotless. With Thanksgiving next week, today I will clean the carpets of the entire house myself (a perfectionist).
2). One daughter flew home last night. My children are delightful bizarre individuals who need spoiling.
3). Getting to the pool for my laps. I felt like I was catching a cold and didn’t go twice this week. My shoulders ached from lack of exercise!
4). Squeeze in writing when possible but not stress over it.
Laura,
You should only know how often I think of running away… buy the work involved in packing for under a week is too much. Imagine leaving for good? Yikes. My to-do list would be as long as Rapunzel’s hair. lol. But you know what? SUI could work. I LOVE it. So often, when we ‘just do it’, we realize the procrastinating took more energy than the job.
And about getting caught up one day… hmm… what would we do with ourselves then? 😯
😉
Linda,
Super congrats on completing the first draft! And, if I can just say, getting distracted by the next idea sounds mighty cool to me!!! 😀
Kathleen,
Great list! And how true – if we ran away, maybe those we do for would realize just how much that actually is. Enjoy spoiling those youngin’s of yours. And definitely enjoy working out the kinks in the pool – do an extra lap for me. 😉
~Debbie