What's the Plan, Stan?

I'm working on becoming less of a planner. And by "working on" I mean "taking no action other than hoping things turn out the way I want them to." Still, it's a start. 

I live by a plan. I really don't understand how people get by in life without them. It's not that I write down every moment of my day (well, not always), but I typically either review my calendar at night or first thing in the morning and at least make a mental note of what my day looks like. The problem is that if something new pops up--even something fun--I'm often reluctant to let go of the mental plan I had for the day and adjust to make room for the new thing.

Here's an example. Yesterday was beautiful and a friend texted me early to see if I wanted to get in a quick easy run that afternoon. Just to be out and enjoy the weather and each other's company. 

Sounds fun, but wait. Running was not in the plan. I'd already biked that morning. My legs had their workout. So no, no running. Can't do it. It's not in the plan. 

An hour later, I'm staring out at the sunshine thinking how nice it would be to be out there running in it and it occurs to me how stupid I am. This isn't about "exercise." This is about enjoying life and what it offers in the moment. It's sunny. It's pretty out. I have a great friend I get to spend time with. I get to enjoy being healthy and appreciate the fact that my life is set up so I can take off and enjoy an afternoon run. Throw the play book out the window and just go.

So I did.

I need to do that more often. I'm easily freaked out by things as simple as I planned to start my morning writing time at 7 am but now it's 8:30 and oh my God, the day is ruined. Calm. Step back. Readjust. Pull up your big girl panties and just deal with it. 

Can you see the free spirit in me taking over already? Almost there....

Cheers,

Dena

Dena Harris: Purina's First Cat Chow Correspondent

From the moment I saw the ad announcing Purina was looking for their first Cat Chow Correspondent, I knew it was destiny. Traveling the country, talking to people about cats, looking at cats, educating people about cats... Hello?? Might as well start writing my name on the pay slip now. 

The perfect thing about the position is that it's a one-year post. In, out, done. Ideal for us "bored after we get good at something" types. (Blair, of course, had to weigh in with his comment which was, "I don't know. It's a paying position. Don't you try to avoid things like that?" Oh, the joys of living with a comedian.) 

Do I even want the job? I don't know. I haven't been able to find a lot of details about what's involved. But of course once I decided I would apply just for fun, my competitive juices kicked in. Must... win... cat chow... position.

Part of the application asked for a short video explaining why you think you would be good for the role. Blair hauled out the camera yesterday and we shot a quick 2-minute video. The cats--who fear the video camera along with the vacuum, doorbell, feather duster, and high-heeled shoes--disappeared during filming, but we awarded them brief cameos at the end. 

So please, join my campaign to convince Purina to hire me as their go-to roving-cat-reporter on the streets. Watching the video on YouTube and liking it would be a big help, as would passing on the link or leaving a comment along the lines of, "Wow. This person just screams 'Cat Chow Correspondent' to me. How could you even think of hiring anyone else?" 

And c'mon. Think of the blog posts I'll write if I land this thing. Let the wit and hilarity begin.

Cheers,

Dena

I Also Can't Walk & Chew Gum at the Same Time

I don't know if you've noticed this phenomena, but every time you declare something about yourself, the Universe tests your resolve. To wit: my announcement via blog, FB, and Twitter that I am devoting this year solely to working on my YA novel.

The Universe read my blog post and immediately said, "Oh, how cute are you??" and sent some job offers my way. A client I hadn't heard from in over two years suddenly surfaced with a request for website articles and ghost writing a blog. 

"Nope," I said, not even bothering to look up from my notes on character development. "I'm a novelist. Your job offer does not interest me." 

"Impressive," said the Universe. "But do you mean it?" And sent me what was practically a guaranteed job offer for a full-time position with our area community college. 

I looked up and sighed. "Can't you see I'm busy?" I asked. "Now please, leave me be." 

"One more," said the Universe, and up popped an e-mail from a former employer for whom I love working. It was a small itty-bitty job, just writing some copy for the landing page of a website. 300 words. How long could it take? 

"I'll do it," I said. 

"Ah-HA!" said the Universe. "I knew it!" And notified me that the proposal I'd sent in to be a speaker this fall at a social media expo had been accepted and paperwork, course description, etc. must be submitted, post haste. Which reminded me that to be seen as a valid speaker at a social networking event I might want to invest some time in, oh, I don't know... social networking?  

And so it comes to the fact that I have done no "writing" this week. I've stayed busy. In fact, I am a one-woman marketing machine, churning out press releases and sending out requests for promotional blurbs for WHO MOVED MY MOUSE, all while coordinating details for an upcoming blog tour. But that creative writing thing I said I was going to do every day without fail? It's not happening. And that worries me. 

I'm going to call this week a wash. Spend the next couple of days tidying up all these loose marketing threads I've pulled then regroup and try again. 

And when that Universe comes knocking at my door, I'm just going to curl into a tight ball and pretend no one is at home. 

Cheers,

Dena

Update on 2011-02-15 22:37 by Dena Harris

And it continues. I've received three job offers in the last two days. Must... stay.... strong.