Spinning wheels, going nowhere ... yet
So here’s what I’ve been doing. It’s kind of working for me, so it might work for others out there too.
As I’ve mentioned before, my big vice is sloth: not just laziness, but a kind of spinning my wheels. Even when I want to do something, I have massive trouble getting started.
For me, I’ve found that it’s easier if I have someone else I’ve made a commitment to. So, for my writing, I have a couple people I’m sending chapters as I finish writing them. They expect them every week. That helps to focus me.
In the rest of my life, I’ve been using schedules and to-do lists. These are great tools, but (like all tools) they only work if you use them correctly. So I’ve tapped the people I live with to help me use them better. Every morning, over breakfast, we go over the day’s schedule. I arrange for a couple “check-in” phone calls at certain key points during the day.
Some days, like today, the schedule doesn’t fit so well. Ironically, it’s because the order of tasks matters more; I have to do X before I can start on Y. That means I can’t just drop X if I’m not done within the hour I’ve put on the schedule. So, the to-do list becomes the more helpful tool.
As you may have noticed, the blog has not been in my schedule for the past few days. I’m working on rectifying that. The blog is important because:
- It holds me accountable (which is why I encourage comments!)
- It helps me articulate thoughts I’m hoping to write and publish soon
- It’s a way of making connections with people I wouldn’t otherwise meet
Therefore, a short post today, and more to come, I hope.
And by the way, thanks to all of you who have written me through the contact page! I appreciate your support!
