Bad Habits
At my Creativity Coaching class yesterday we had to write our goals down.
After we did that, we wrote a note to our "better self" from our "blocked self" to discuss what might be in the way of us achieving our goals.
For me, I realized I've become a good procrastinator, thinking everything is going to take longer than it does and feeling I need more hours/time than I do.
It's a bad habit, sitting down and thinking, "I can't start this poem because I'm going to need to stop in an hour to _________________ (fill in the blank)." It's one of the reasons I think writing at night works so well for me, there's no place I need to be.
But life is a series of temporary situations all scotch-taped together, so something will always take you out of your poem or writing.
So I've begun telling myself, "Just do what you can do. Start! Begin! You can always stop midway..."
It's been working.
Also, I stopped visiting Facebook. If I want to know what my friends are up to, I'll call them. I do not need to know who is having what for dinner, who just wrote down a wonderful gem their child said, who is drinking red wine before bed (honestly, I can just guess that it is many of my friends and be close enough...)
Everything in moderation, a doctor once said to me.
We can find ourselves with too much on anything, even too much time is a bad thing.
But being aware of your own bad habits or what makes you not your best self (as Oprah would say) is a good thing. Honestly, it's been hard for me to change my bad habits because I've gotten comfortable reading about my friends on Facebook (feeling connected to them, but really, I'm not, if that makes sense). I've gotten comfortable saying, "I don't have time..." I've also gotten comfortable of putting others before my own writing, which is an odd one for me to say because normally I'm quite selfish.
But sometimes habits begin. We notice them and take steps forward to change them.
I've deleted my Facebook icon off my links. Step one.
*
After we did that, we wrote a note to our "better self" from our "blocked self" to discuss what might be in the way of us achieving our goals.
For me, I realized I've become a good procrastinator, thinking everything is going to take longer than it does and feeling I need more hours/time than I do.
It's a bad habit, sitting down and thinking, "I can't start this poem because I'm going to need to stop in an hour to _________________ (fill in the blank)." It's one of the reasons I think writing at night works so well for me, there's no place I need to be.
But life is a series of temporary situations all scotch-taped together, so something will always take you out of your poem or writing.
So I've begun telling myself, "Just do what you can do. Start! Begin! You can always stop midway..."
It's been working.
Also, I stopped visiting Facebook. If I want to know what my friends are up to, I'll call them. I do not need to know who is having what for dinner, who just wrote down a wonderful gem their child said, who is drinking red wine before bed (honestly, I can just guess that it is many of my friends and be close enough...)
Everything in moderation, a doctor once said to me.
We can find ourselves with too much on anything, even too much time is a bad thing.
But being aware of your own bad habits or what makes you not your best self (as Oprah would say) is a good thing. Honestly, it's been hard for me to change my bad habits because I've gotten comfortable reading about my friends on Facebook (feeling connected to them, but really, I'm not, if that makes sense). I've gotten comfortable saying, "I don't have time..." I've also gotten comfortable of putting others before my own writing, which is an odd one for me to say because normally I'm quite selfish.
But sometimes habits begin. We notice them and take steps forward to change them.
I've deleted my Facebook icon off my links. Step one.
*
No more FB? I hear this is a trend. I am all for checking 5-10 minutes a day, but maybe that's a poem unwritten every month. I also call and see local and far-flung friends and fam whenever I can.
ReplyDeleteConfession: I realize I have started looking forward to Tuesday for your Confession Tuesday!
Love this "
ReplyDeleteBut life is a series of temporary situations all scotch-taped together, so something will always take you out of your poem or writing."
My FB account got locked at one point and I was just going to get away from it but I find if I only check in once or twice it really isn't that bad to keep it :)
also meant no more mafia wars....
*So I've begun telling myself, "Just do what you can do. Start! Begin! You can always stop midway..."*
ReplyDeleteGood advice. I'm trying to stop making excuses for myself. I have to stop talking and stop doing.
And I'm trying to limit myself to 5-10 minutes of quality FB time. But it's hard!