Time Management and Procrastination

It happens to the best of us at times. We know what it is that we need to get done, but...

"Oh, look... Something shiny!"

Writers joke about this ALL THE TIME, because we all do it. We get to a certain point within our manuscripts and that shiny, new idea calls to us, distracting us. But sometimes, this phenomenon happens in our everyday lives, too.

That's what happened to me this week. I found myself procrastinating in a big way, avoiding all the tasks that I was meant to be doing.

I know it. I recognize it. I own it. It is what it is.

But for the #DigitalDetox challenge, that means a repeat for the week. But I've taken a sneak peak at the challenge ahead, and I can easily fit that one in too, and the only reason I say this... It's try a new food.

Seriously, a challenge with trying a new food is going to be so easy! I love eating. And I love exploring the different foods out there. I do it ALL THE TIME! So, I've elected to twist it, doing something that I already do, but pushing myself.

Challenges for the coming week

So, I have to repeat the challenge from last week (write a poem). You would think for a writer that it would be easy, but I don't think in that way. And maybe that was the problem. I was "thinking", or more precisely "overthinking". I know what I need to do. I just need to do it.

"Stop overthinking and just get the freakin' words down. It doesn't need to be perfect. You're not a poet, so who cares if no one else likes it. That's not the point."

And that's the lesson that I've learnt this week. It was the gentle reminder that no one is going to see my writing unless I choose to share it. So, it doesn't matter if it's good or not. Just get the flippin' words down.

And that's also why I want to repeat last week's challenge. It's not a matter of trying to finish things. It's a matter of reminding myself why I write and that I don't have to share the fruits of my labor if I don't want to.

The #DigitalDetox book was a small adult coloring book I found in my favorite stationery store Typo.

BUT, so I don't get too far behind in this #DigitalDetox challenge thing, I'm also going to do #8 from the book: try a new food.

I love trying new foods, because I love exploring flavors.

I will admit that I'm not a fan of going out to restaurants, but that's because such a venture can be expensive in New Zealand. Just going out to dinner with my husband can easily add up to $100 for the evening, and that's being frugal. Add my two children into the mix, and that's $200 on one meal. That $200 could feed my family for a week. It's not that we don't go out to restaurants, it just... has to be a special occasion.

But I do like cooking... when I have a clean kitchen. I have a range of recipes that I cycle through that are quick and simple, constantly changing up what it is that we eat. (We have a varied diet, loaded with vegetables.) But sometimes, I get bored with our tried-and-true meals, and out come the cookbooks so I can find something new to try.

So, that's how I'll be tackling the try-a-new-food challenge. I'm going to go through the cookbooks and I'm going to find new recipes to trial. And because I can, I'm going to do it more than once this week.

Let the cooking begin!

So, next week you can expect to hear about my poem writing experience and all the new recipes that I've found.

What about you? Are you going to try new foods this week? And what about your poem? Did you write one?