Midweek Reflection: Writing and Procrastination

I think I will have to dedicate one afternoon to cleaning out my desk drawers. I have managed to get one drawer completely cleaned out. I found numerous beginning of poems and other writing scraps, which I put back in the drawer. After that I got  sidetracked writing and doing some portfolio house cleaning. I am not sure why I decided that rearranging my writing.com portfolio takes priority over cleaning out the desk drawers. Perhaps it is just another manifestation of my tendency to look like I am accomplishing something when I am really procrastinating. 

True, I need to rearrange the portfolio. I also need to clean out the drawer of my desk. One of my problems is that I become so focused on doing one thing that I let the other slip. Cleaning out the desk drawers is not the only thing I let slip. I let posting to this blog slip as well. I am going to post this and then see what I can accomplish either in finishing the portfolio housekeeping or cleaning out the desk drawers. 

Housekeeping and Writing

I spent most of the morning organizing my kitchen. It was tiring, but fulfilling. I still have to mop the floor, but since I don't have a working light in the kitchen that will have to wait until Wednesday. The light fixtures are in the ceiling so it is difficulty for me to safely install a new light bulb. Fortunately, the maintenance tech came today to see what needed fixing. He will install all the light bulbs plus fix the hole in the wall and put in two new bedroom doors next week. I will have to be patient until then and do all my housekeeping during the day.

Because I have to do housework during the day, I am switching to late afternoon and evening writing. I have a lamp with a light bulb by the couch and that will let me write in my pen and paper journal. When I work on the computer I do no need any extra light because the there is enough light coming form the computer monitor for me to see what I am doing.

One of the disadvantages of living alone is lack of help. I have to do everything by myself and sometimes it can be a pain. I am referring to both the difficulty in getting things done and the pain I experience in my lower back. Fortunately, I have prescription pain medication for the lower back, but there is no pain medication for inconvenience. I do not know how well this new writing schedule is going to work because my muse and imagination prefer to work in the morning.

Five things to Write Between July 6 and July 10, 20151

1. Finish the string of seven senryu about housekeeping. I have one senryu and I need six more.

2. Write 500 more words on the Rhythms of Love/Faith (Working Title). The deadline for the story is July 31.

3. Finish Letter from the Editor for my edition of the writing.com fantasy newsletter (Deadline: Monday July 12).

4. Write 500 word on Brain Page article (Deadline July 15).

5. Finish the string of seven Lanturne about light. I have one written and I need six more.

Success Saturday: I Survived the Last Week of February 2015

I successfully survived the last week of February 2015. I felt that this was a hectic week because I seemed to feel rushed all week. I felt rushed when I wrote. I felt rushed when I did housework. I felt rushed when I went to the store or someplace else. This morning I do not feel rushed. I think it is because I got up at 5:00 am instead of 6:00, so I was able to get a little more accomplished. I also ate breakfast earlier today.

Another reason the week felt hectic is that I had difficulty completing all my daily goals. I have to change the way I approach accomplishing those goals. I believe one way to do that is to place a time limit on each task and when the time has expired go on to something else. I know my mother did that when she did housework. Mom also focused on one room at a time. Since I live in a studio apartment I have to divide it up in sections and focus on one section at a time. Putting a time limit on the writing task will be a little easier then on the housekeeping tasks.

Once I post this entry then I will have finished all the writing I planned to do this morning. If I have time after I take a bath I will review or write another item, but I am not going to worry about completing those things until I get back home this afternoon. I am going to a baby shower at 1:00 pm in Henderson, so I have to stop somewhere before I go and purchase something for the pot luck to accompany the shower. I think I will purchase a fruit or vegetable tray because those always go over good.

Tuesday's Tip: Accomplishing a Word Count goal and doing Housework

If you have a word count goal then begin writing early in the day. When you get up write a few lines or paragraphs before taking a bath or preparing breakfast. Save what you have written and get ready for the day. If you can't get on line then carry a pen and paper journal with you so that you can write in it between other projects.

If you have housework to do do not, I repeat do not, get so wrapped up in what you are writing that you burn the meatloaf or let the dishes go. I admit that I have not burned the meatloaf in years, but that is because I have not made that particular dish in ten or fifteen years.

If you have to set an oven timer or an egg timer to make yourself stop writing then purchase one that you can sit next to your computer. Give yourself a time limit to write before starting housework or going on to the next housekeeping task. When you do this do not worry about misspellings or grammar because that is why you edit a piece of writing.

Schedule your writing time even if you have to get up early before everyone else is awake. You can also schedule your writing after everyone else goes to bed. If you do this remember to keep a journal or a loose leaf note book with you to write down ideas. If you do not write down an idea you will forget it.