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Chain me to the chair, please
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Today, I share no helpful hints. Only a confession.
Today, I had plenty of time to work. And I have two mammoth stories to work on. One in particular requires me to delve through stacks of printed materials, review DVDs and research hectares and latitudes and such on the Internet to pull together a million facts for a discerning professional audience before I even begin to write.
Today, I also landed three new assignments. One short little blurbie is due Friday. The other two are more substantial stories that could be due just as I pass the rapidly approaching deadlines for the two mammoth stories previously mentioned above.
So do you think I could sit still for two hours?
I suddenly decided to hang pictures in my new apartment. I had to get to the grocery. I wanted to catch up on my favorite blogs and websites—a legitimate activity that led to one of those new story assignments, but something I really could do when I'm not facing a giant, scary deadline. I unloaded the dishwasher and dusted my daughter's room.
Sure, I culled research in fits and starts. But to say that I sat and worked...well, I wouldn't let my daughter get away with it.
So today I confess my utter lack of focus. I'm sure it has something to do with me being a Gemini and why I love freelancing. But it was thoroughly nonproductive.
Tomorrow, I've decided, I must get through all the printed materials before I allow myself lunch. I'm generally ready to eat paper by 11:15, so this should be rather motivating.
But I welcome your input: How do you stay seated for a slow slog? What spurs you through the less desirable parts of a project when no one is checking your time card or monitoring your lunch breaks? Please tell me I'm not the only one who wastes entire days, only to regret it at 10 p.m. Sunday when I wish I were relaxing with a book instead of still gazing at the screen.
And if you hear a scary noise midday tomorrow, feel free to scold me for dawdling. My growling belly is quite a loud taskmaster. I wonder whether cardstock is at least filling...
