Last week I was lounging around on Twitter when I read a quote that said: “How you do one thing is how you do everything. So be aware.” That quote was foolishly untrue because…it just was, all right.
People aren’t consistent, we are as random and unpredictable as an Ipod shuffle. We can be energized, or tired, we can procrastinate or look forward to something or avoid things. But the quote nagged at me until I had to painfully admit its truth. (Electronics are also incapable of being random.)
Sure, people might not be perfectly consistent, especially not when facing something new, but if we looked at our daily routines, we would see a pattern of behavior. For good or evil, this pattern is the building block of our lives.
I often hear myself thinking, “If things were different then I would…” but the truth is, if things changed they would stay the same until I changed.
Writing this blog is dragging my patterns into the bright sunshine, and I’ll tell you what, baby, they aren’t pretty.
I have a habit of procrastinating a task until the last minute, then rushing through it with my eyes half-closed. When I get ready for the day I lay around doing nothing until I absolutely have to leave, then I run into the bathroom, throw my hair into a sloppy bun, brush my teeth, put on my glasses, throw on a random, and probably hideous, outfit, and I’m ready. When I’m hungry, I wait until I’m starving, (unless I’m trying to avoid something else) then I stomp into the kitchen, grab whatever is laying around and shove it into my mouth, swallowing it in as few bites as possible.
In the process of writing this blog, I have fought the urge to check my Twitter account, Skype with my family, browse tiffany.com, shop for clothing, and check my email five times. Normally I would have opened the word document and thought: Isn’t there something I need to do online? If I convince myself its important, I feel productive checking it out.
After spending a half-hour checking all my usual sites and feeling satisfied, I return to my writing where I rough out something really fast. Then I remember Jennifer Lopez’s performance on American Idol last night. I’m not a fan of her music, but she is a great performer, that was a lot of fun. I should look that up on youtube. One video would lead to ten until time slips away. When I have only a few writing minutes left, I return to my blog post, slam out the rest, read through it several times, convince myself it’s perfect, and post it. Three hours later, if I allow myself to read it, I find glaring flaws and feel embarrassed that I put it out there. But I don’t have time to edit it because I’m too busy reading my cousin’s Facebook page. Doesn’t she have a blog? I should find her blog. I remember reading it once, and thinking it was quite clever.
Now that I have revealed the con-man in me, I am taking steps to reshape my patterns, and I’m starting with this blog. Okay, maybe it’s a little late for that. I did wait until the last minute to write this blog: same day writing and posting doesn’t work for me. But I have resisted the urge to google Shakira to find out how to pronounce her full name. That’s progress! I haven’t taken one detour this whole time, even though those chili Fritoes are calling my name, and we have some chocolate doughnuts that need eating. Doesn’t Cotton On have a sale coming up?
If I stay focused I have more time to write something of substance, something I can be proud of, no matter how much time elapses.
I’m happiest when I plan ahead, giving myself time to focus on getting things right. After posting this, I will outline next Monday’s blog. Then I will spend this week editing it rather than catching up on old episodes of The Bachelor. That way I will have something good for you next week. Or at least something better. Good writing is a slow uphill battle.
Maybe not this week, but next week, Gadget, next week.
People aren’t consistent, we are as random and unpredictable as an Ipod shuffle. We can be energized, or tired, we can procrastinate or look forward to something or avoid things. But the quote nagged at me until I had to painfully admit its truth. (Electronics are also incapable of being random.)
Sure, people might not be perfectly consistent, especially not when facing something new, but if we looked at our daily routines, we would see a pattern of behavior. For good or evil, this pattern is the building block of our lives.
I often hear myself thinking, “If things were different then I would…” but the truth is, if things changed they would stay the same until I changed.
Writing this blog is dragging my patterns into the bright sunshine, and I’ll tell you what, baby, they aren’t pretty.
I have a habit of procrastinating a task until the last minute, then rushing through it with my eyes half-closed. When I get ready for the day I lay around doing nothing until I absolutely have to leave, then I run into the bathroom, throw my hair into a sloppy bun, brush my teeth, put on my glasses, throw on a random, and probably hideous, outfit, and I’m ready. When I’m hungry, I wait until I’m starving, (unless I’m trying to avoid something else) then I stomp into the kitchen, grab whatever is laying around and shove it into my mouth, swallowing it in as few bites as possible.
In the process of writing this blog, I have fought the urge to check my Twitter account, Skype with my family, browse tiffany.com, shop for clothing, and check my email five times. Normally I would have opened the word document and thought: Isn’t there something I need to do online? If I convince myself its important, I feel productive checking it out.
After spending a half-hour checking all my usual sites and feeling satisfied, I return to my writing where I rough out something really fast. Then I remember Jennifer Lopez’s performance on American Idol last night. I’m not a fan of her music, but she is a great performer, that was a lot of fun. I should look that up on youtube. One video would lead to ten until time slips away. When I have only a few writing minutes left, I return to my blog post, slam out the rest, read through it several times, convince myself it’s perfect, and post it. Three hours later, if I allow myself to read it, I find glaring flaws and feel embarrassed that I put it out there. But I don’t have time to edit it because I’m too busy reading my cousin’s Facebook page. Doesn’t she have a blog? I should find her blog. I remember reading it once, and thinking it was quite clever.
Now that I have revealed the con-man in me, I am taking steps to reshape my patterns, and I’m starting with this blog. Okay, maybe it’s a little late for that. I did wait until the last minute to write this blog: same day writing and posting doesn’t work for me. But I have resisted the urge to google Shakira to find out how to pronounce her full name. That’s progress! I haven’t taken one detour this whole time, even though those chili Fritoes are calling my name, and we have some chocolate doughnuts that need eating. Doesn’t Cotton On have a sale coming up?
If I stay focused I have more time to write something of substance, something I can be proud of, no matter how much time elapses.
I’m happiest when I plan ahead, giving myself time to focus on getting things right. After posting this, I will outline next Monday’s blog. Then I will spend this week editing it rather than catching up on old episodes of The Bachelor. That way I will have something good for you next week. Or at least something better. Good writing is a slow uphill battle.
Maybe not this week, but next week, Gadget, next week.