Friends, I am a master procrastinator! What about you?

Since at least high school, my writing is almost always done at the last minute. Term papers, college and med school application essays, blog posts, it’s all the same. There’s usually a sense of thrill and anticipation, a fun challenge, as well as some self-judgment for having to ‘cram.’ And while the product was usually pretty good, I often wondered how much better it could be if I gave myself more time to edit and revise. So for NaBloPoMo 2022 I completed posts 2-3 days in advance, scheduling them to ‘drop’. I edited most pieces in the interim, but not significantly–mostly choosing a different word or tightening a sentence here or there. That was validating.

This works fine when the deadlines are soft–meaning I’m accountable only to myself, and only for fun. And I have never had to ask for an extension in class or missed an important application deadline, so I’m probably still fine, right? I recently attended a writing workshop where I thought I had to present an entire book proposal for critique, and I managed to sit Butt In Chair in enough time to complete a first draft without pulling any all-nighters (I’ve only ever stayed up all night to finish a Percy Jackson book in adulthood). Writing Buddy was impressed, commenting, “When you get your bottom in the seat, you get sh*t done!” It did help that I was in the mountains, with maybe 10% of the usual distractions.

But if a miracle happens and I actually get a chance to publish a whole book, that will be next level–how do I know my baseline method will be good enough? Will these 8 years of blogging have been good practice? For the most part I have kept up with weekly posts, plus the 30 day challenge every November. I worry that I will either run out of ideas, or I’ll fail to write them coherently enough. But I worry most that I will not have the discipline to finish what I say I want to start. What evidence have I for this fear?

Most of my childhood friends started piano lessons early in life. I hesitated–all that practice… MaBa warned me what kind of investment it would be for them, and after considering for two years I finally committed. At that time there were two music stores at Southglenn mall, and we went back and forth between them one weekend, listening to the Yamaha upright at one and the Kawai upright at the other. It was clear to me from the start that the Kawai was the superior instrument; I advocated patiently and firmly, and won my case. I played with enthusiasm well into high school–not expertly, but enough to really grow some musical neural networks that enrich my life. It’s a form of stress relief, then and now. Today I own a Kawai baby grand, and Son and Daughter both play with similar satisfaction.

Over my life I have committed to and sustained practice in classical Chinese dance and painting, public speaking, volleyball, medical training, practice, and leadership, washi tape art, physical fitness, and now sourdough baking. And blogging… with the idea of writing a book… eventually. When I started HTC in 2015 I never imagined it would last 8+ years. I thought I had a book in me then, but apparently not yet. “You don’t do anything half-ass,” Friend observed to me recently. Well, not anything I care about, anyway. And here I still am, 532 blog posts later and no book. Procrastinate much? I’m much closer now than ever, though, like litera(ri)lly on the threshold. It’s just taken this long, for all the reasons, and it’s okay. I’m having fun, practicing, processing, progressing, connecting, …winding up.

Friend texted me this week to inquire about and encourage my book writing; it was so loving and I felt buoyed. My reply:

Thank you so much my dear friend!! 🙏🏼🥰💗🌟
Writing itself is going well!! 💃🏻🎉🥳 …though none of it is actually proposal work, per se 🤪 I did go really BOOBS OUT on the blog over the weekend—gearing up to pour into the book—kinda like rubbing stocking feet on carpet in order to shock the next thing I touch! 😄 So I’m feeling overall good, trying to balance the organic unfolding with the intentional effort, you know?
THANK YOU THANK YOU so much for your encouragement, it means the world to me!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🥰💗🌟🔥💪🏼

Allow the unfolding with joyous intent. Trust my reliable nature. Adjust my method(s) as needed. Commit to having fun. All in, all me. BOOBS OUT. And deep bows to my amazing Tribe. I get to choose whatever meaning I want out of any and all of it. How awesome!

I’ got this.