Since starting this blog, I’ve come to realize that I’m essentially a lazy writer. Sitting at my desk to dream up ideas just doesn’t cut it for me. Rather, my writing style is to let inspiration catch me. So my cellphone ends up being my most important aid.
I find most of my inspiration while on my daily walk, listening to a wide variety of podcasts. It’s pretty intimate listening to the radio or podcasts – it’s just you and the show. Being out in nature just adds to it, inviting a connection between what I’m learning about and my life. It is not uncommon to see me stopped on the street typing an idea or even my first draft into my cellphone. Usually, the most cogent way to phrase a thought pops into my head when I’m doing something else. Sometimes, my blog ideas come while in the shower. Yup, I’ve rushed out of the shower more than a few times to add text to my notes app while dripping wet (sorry for TMI). Writing things down immediately relieves my brain from having to remember them. While I do multiple rounds of edits sitting in front of my laptop, I never come up with an idea or write a first draft there.
Lazy …. or Efficient?
I call this my lazy approach. I view it as lazy because it doesn’t require much effort. Rather than sit and suffer, I allow inspiration to feed me. No pain but gain …
Putting an adjective – lazy – on my approach got me to thinking about how I operated in my working years in government. In retrospect, it was all about this lazy method. If I had the luxury of advance notice that I was on the hook to produce a product or presentation, I would let thoughts simmer in my brain as far in advance as possible, jotting down ideas, an outline, or sketchy visuals as they came to me. As the time got nearer, I did a concentrated refinement at my desk.
Connecting many dots, I’ve realized that this reflects my natural predilection to avoid high pressure situations. As my kids know, Murphy’s Law (i.e., anything that can happen WILL happen) is a guiding principle for me. It’s a key theme of how my parents raised me. While I shuddered each time my parents said it, and my kids still shudder today when I say “Remember – Murphy’s law,” it has defined my process for so many things in my life.
I never thought of myself as anxious, but it seems my modis operandi (MO) might just be anxiety avoidance. Many prefer to live in the moment and put off studying or completing a task until the last minute, with good results. Not me. I’m not one who did an all-nighter in college. I would worry that I might get sick or be so overcome with fear that I might not finish. So, I have always deferred to my plodding routine – do a little here and there and build up the workload so I am rarely overwhelmed at the end. Call it lazy… or efficient…
Trusting our decision-making process
Over time, I have come to trust that arriving at decisions is in line with my lazy method. I allow the pros and cons of a personal or career-related decision to percolate, knowing that I will soon just know which way to go. This allows my brain and heart to meld into agreement. Again, what makes it lazy is that I am comfortable with temporary indecision and don’t force the process into a compressed timeline.
Many struggle with making decisions. Rather than suffer needlessly, it helps to think back to how they’ve been made before. Everyone has made a ton of decisions but may think of them as individually unrelated. I choose to believe that there was a common theme in the system that led to the result. It’s a matter of identifying each person’s pattern of what works, and then rely on it going forward.
This month’s blog is dedicated to my beloved dog Tori, who passed away on January 26 at almost 15. In a circuitous way, this blog’s theme is aligned with how we treat our pets. Do we trust them off-leash? Do we focus on positive reinforcement to achieve behavior change? Do we treat them as a cherished family member, never banishing them when visitors come over? Whatever style one has, it comes down to being instinctual and confident.
Since we are all so unique, our personal MO — for decision-making, writing/creating/presenting and pet parenting — needs to be authentic to each of us. Whether you feel your style is lazy, rigorous or last minute, I would love to hear your process and how you (hopefully) came to trust it.
What I want to share this month:
The Daily podcast’s quick and dirty summary of Biden climate plan and it’s likely impacts on Americans and our economy.
Pointers on HOW TO LOOK BETTER ON ZOOM [ How to Light & Angle Your Screen to Look Your Best] – YouTube
Fascinating tour of American accents from this Wired Magazine 21 minute YouTube video.
Linda – great article as usual. Your painting of Tori is wonderful. Painting clearly comes naturally to you. Keep it up.
Stay safe
insightful as always Linda! Love your painting of Tori, especially the eyes and the expression on the face.
It’s funny, Linda – I work much the same as you. I let ideas percolate, jot them down as they come to me, and then sit for a concentrated time as the due date gets closer. I have never thought of this as lazy – I prefer to think of it as non-linear (I can multi-task this way, working on multiple projects at once). I love working this way because it also allows ideas to cross germinate and makes for a more holistic outcome. The only downside is when inspiration strikes when you have no pen, paper, or note taking app!!!
I wouldn’t call your approach lazy; it’s more taking things as they come. Lazy would be if you didn’t stop to write down your ideas as they come to you.
The most important point you make is that there is no 1 correct way. Do what’s best for you and don’t let anyone make you feel guilty as to how you approach things.
I, like you, would never wait until the last minute to focus on something. I work on it, over time, to come to a decision, plan, or project. I commend you for being able to synthesize whatever you are focusing on and put it onto paper. This approach isn’t laziness at all. It’s deliberate. Kudos to you!
Another dog portrait artist! Well done, and so sorry for your loss. I know how that feels…thanks for sharing your workstyle and approach.
Linda – thanks for another insightful blog! Coming from a person who is fairly planful and organized, although occasionally a procrastinator, this inspires me to bake more freedom into my approaches and allow for more of an evolutionary process. I’ll keep my cell phone handy for a-ha’s and breathroughs 🙂