Stop Waiting for Ideal Conditions
I was never one to wait for the muse to rain inspiration upon me. Which is just as well because muses are as contrary as housecats. Many writers and artists will tell you that you just need to put your butt in a chair and get started.
I know this, and yet…
In my pretentious MFA days (is that redundant?) I wrote fiction by hand, with a fountain pen, on an angled writing desk. I even had special paper I brought home from France - the kind with lots of lines so kids can learn to write. That way I was never facing the dreaded blank white page.
My schedule and living situation allowed for such preciousness, so it worked.
I’ve loosened up quite a bit over the years, but I find myself waiting for the ideal internal conditions for certain activities. Of course, you have to listen to your body and rest when it tells you to. But that’s not every single time your body isn’t working at its peak. Sometimes you’re able to half ass whatever you need/want to get done.
Like right now. I’m typing through some moderately heavy brain fog (part of a migraine attack). I didn’t write this week’s post yesterday because of brain fog, and because I assumed that it would lift by today. Silly Jen.
So I decided to try writing a post and see what happens. And now here we are, 250 words into what I really hope is a coherent post. If it’s a bit rambling, well…we’re all about embracing imperfection here.
When I write for clients, looming deadlines provide enough adrenaline that the fog clears and the pain fades into the background so I can get ‘er done. Those are not ideal conditions, but they’ll have to do.
Without an externally imposed deadline, I find that I tend to wait for ideal (or ideal-ish) conditions. That goes beyond writing. Why clean the bathroom if I don’t feel up to making it sparkle? Why do dishes for only 10 minutes? Why do the job at all if it’s not perfect?
Why? Because those perfect conditions may never arise. And if you don’t wash any dishes ever, you won’t have any dishes to eat off of, so you’ll have to do a couple of dishes at mealtime. When you could’ve washed those coupla dishes when you weren’t hungry. Cleaning the bathroom just a little may be the only thing that stands between you and having to invest in a power scrubber.
You can’t edit a blank page, and you can’t wash dishes in a sink that’s so full of dishes that you can’t turn on the water.
Yet when we think of it as pushing ourselves to get a little done, it feels awful. It feels like someone you hate is standing over you, forcing you to work. No wonder we’d rather let things slide.
Instead, let’s think of it as giving ourselves a break. Unload the dishwasher without feeling like you can’t leave the kitchen until it sparkles. Rub a magic eraser on the side of the tub while you’re waiting for the hot water to come up for your shower - and then stop cleaning to take a shower. Put away one piece of laundry and leave the rest in a pile.
Meet yourself where you are, and do what you can in the moment.
What are some times you find yourself waiting for ideal conditions?
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