When You Start Believing Your Own Hype...
/I was on the phone with BFF Trisha the other day, who also works from home. It was around 11 a.m. and we were talking about how we were both having trouble motivating ourselves to do much work this close to the holidays.
"I've probably only done 20 minutes of real work so far today," she said.
"Congratulations," I said. "That puts you a solid 20 minutes ahead of me. But it's okay 'cause I'm saving up for the new year. Come January, I'm gonna hit it hard. I am going to be ALL ABOUT the work ethic."
Trisha laughed. "January. Yeah, right. Me too."
"You know what the sad part of this conversation is?" I asked. "I'm serious. I actually believe that come January second, I am going to set my butt down in a chair for 8-10 hour days of writing time."
"Oh, that's so cute," said Trisha.
It kind of is. I amaze even myself at how easily I can pull the wool over my own eyes. Like with shoe shopping the other day. I went looking for black flats but my eye was drawn first thing to this striking pair of stilettos that added a good three inches to my height. The inner dialogue began.
"You'll never wear these," whispered sensible Dena.
"I would SO wear these," argued I-will-buy-anything-that-makes-my-legs-look-good Dena.
"You will NOT wear these. You'll get them home and when it's time to wear them out you'll decide they're too uncomfortable and impractical."
"Not so. I'll just take regular shoes in the car and then I'll change into these. I'm usually sitting at coffeeshops anyway, so it's not like I have to walk all over town in them. This is a perfectly reasonable shoe choice."
"You just said you live in coffeehouses. Why is it necessary to wear stilettos in coffeehouses??"
"Uh, hello? Do you not see how good our legs look?"
I did not buy those particular shoes but I would like to note for the record that the stilettos purchased back in 2005 still look brand spanking new. Which is a round about way of saying that I can convince myself of anything, no matter how foolish, unrealistic, or improbable. I don't mind. It's a good quality to have as a writer. Think back five years ago when I was all, "Oh, I am sooooo going to write about cats for a living!" Fat chance, right? Who knew it would all work out?
Me, that's who! Which is why when I say I'm going to hit it hard in January, I mean it. I am going to churn out the words and the work.
And I'm going to wear stilettos while I do it.
Cheers,
Dena
