Thursday, February 26, 2009

Best Business Practice

What's the best bold action I could take today? That's the question I just now asked myself. First, not getting into a dither about what constitutes best.

Then what?

Here's what it comes to: working on my novel, as I did yesterday and the day before.... Each day briefly unnerving to begin. Sometimes that sensation is no more than a hair wide. Sometimes larger. But always within twenty minutes the creaky hesitation goes away, and I wonder how I could have ever felt it and am sure that I'll never encounter it again.

Likely that companionable moment of unease is just a signal that this is what's important for me to do. Higher stakes than running a load of laundry or getting together the numbers for my taxes. So maybe I should welcome that friendly agitating signal.

And now to my novel, my dharma... I doubt if any of us have to search very long to discover the real work of the day.



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5 comments:

Mamie said...

The post you linked to (about procrastination) spoke right to me, as did yours. I'm forever "getting ready to write" with a sense of dread, coming from the place of the writing not being up to snuff. So I clean off my writing desk, which leads to reading a magazine that was on it, then turning around and seeing my card-making desk, making a card or two, going upstairs for a stamp to mail them, etc etc. But once I sit down and start writing I, like you, wonder why I dreaded it so much when it is one of the things I love to do most.

Thoughtful post.

Greta said...

As Mamie said, your post spoke right to me. I've been in a dither about whether to keep writing or to decide if I need to change the first chapter, take out some characters and strengthen others, etc. I, too, love to write and once I start, I wonder why I procrastinated. For now, I've decided to just write and write and write and worry about what should come first, what should be deleted later, etc.

I've begun a blog but am not bold enough yet to tell others about it.
I'll get there.
Greta

Thanks.
Greta

Peggy Payne said...

I think we're not the only ones, Mamie and Greta, who find ourselves doing this kind of delaying.

I don't put it off beyond the particular day, but still one can lose hours within a day to much lesser pursuits.

On the other hand, in order to avoid kicking myself (the only true waste of time), I remind
myself that procrastination is God's (or Nature's) way of getting desk drawers cleaned out.

Greta, I'd love to know your website address. It's much more fun to have one if people come to visit.

Greta said...

Ta, ta, ta! That's a bugle blowing boldness. (I love alliteration.)

I'm still finding my way (literary-wise, technologically, emotionally, etc) but I have started.

So, Peggy, here it is. Thanks for forcing me...sorta. gretajames.blogspot.com

Peggy Payne said...

Yaaaay, Greta! who has gone public with her brand-new blog: To Write Is Right.

For other readers, Greta has already redefined Writer's Block in a very useful way, and come up with a great thought-organizing strategy (you'll need a length of cord.) Visit: http://gretajames.blogspot.com/2009/02/rethinking-writers-block.html