One of my early blogging buddies, Columbia, at A Home in the City, posted a great video on his site apropos to the New Year.
Have a list of plans for 2008 but your worst enemy is procrastination? Does self-doubt prevent you from attempting your dreams? This guy can relate:
Our worst enemy is often best attribute, our brains. Other enemies include sheer laziness and the couch in front of the tv. It's easier to surf channels or the internet than to go to the gym, write next great American novel, clean the house or floss, (haha).
I've been wanting to sew, write and draw but I never get to these things because I'm busy browsing online. There are so many sites out there showing artists, writers, sewing patterns and fabrics. It's too easy and enjoyable to look at all these things I could be doing.
A big part of me doesn't want to go through making all the mistakes that come along with doing something I'm not familiar with. So it's easier to sit on the sidelines.
Thankfully, I don't have problems with taking pictures or blogging. The wonderful and warm feedback I get here and the enjoyment I get through writing has me hooked. The only difference between blogging and sewing for me are my skill level. If I didn't know how to write or if my English weren't so good, my desire to post wouldn't be so high. And if it took months to complete a post rather than a couple hours, I'd probably wouldn't blog either.
Blogging = instant gratification and easy
Sewing = many days, hard work and possible humiliation
For Christmas, Mark bought the best thing ever, a Playstation 3. The graphics and effects are amazing, and you can play online against other people. Mark has been duking it out with 12-year olds online on Motor Storm, which comes with the system. I'd post a video showing the game, but the ones I found don't capture the overall effects, which are brilliantly cinematic.
Like browsing online, Playstation will be another temptation to resist. I'll have to stop myself from driving big rigs through the mud and slamming into trucks driven by teenagers. So every time I have the urge to play, I'll have to envision myself already doing what I want to do and doing it well. For now, I won't worry about the inevitable growing pains that come with trying new things.
Anyway, that's the plan for 2008.
Photo by myself, in Union Square.
10 comments:
Hey Kitty, just a quick one to wish you a Happy New Year. Fish x
Great seeing you, Fish!
Happy 2008!
Kitty - you hit the nail on the head. The gap between here and 'there' seems too insurmountable to us, so we find something 'related' to do instead of doing the thing we want to do. And no one likes making mistakes or feeling like a beginner again, so that adds to the problem. I think your idea about visualizing yourself already doing it and doing it well will make the difference for you this year. Good on you!
Ah, sewing - I have a feeling you'll make time for many creative projects in 2008. Don't worry, you'll master whatever skills you need to make the projects you have in mind (determination and tenacity are key).
Guitar Hero III is my downfall (played this Christmas at my cousin's house)... it's positively addictive! If we had a Playstation 3 at our house I'd never get anything done, including sleep!
Happy New Year Kitty! Video games can be very addictive. Right now my husband and daughter are playing the Nintendo Wii. Hopefully they'll let me play too!
Thanks for the shout out! If that doesn't help squash my little hater, nothing will! :)
Very jealous of the PS3! I played wii for the first time this holiday, only to find out I'm a sports derelict even amongst couch potatoes.
FWIW, I'd much rather be driving trucks through the mud with tweens in the mid-west than be nursing a rather embarrassing case of Wii shoulder...
I like your labels. Thanks for stopping at "MM," and complimenting - something a girl always loves. And right at the start of a most-welcome New Year.I shall browse >you< more fully - and link 'er up. Cheers. HH
I don't really do resolutions and I don't do computer games either. Not because I disapprove of them but simply because I know I would get hopelessly addicted and never get anything done at all. I am bad enough about blogging and emailing. My house is always a hovel cos I am so easily distracted.
Happy New Year, Kitty! And thanks for all your lovely comments over the past few months.
Thank you, friends!
Spandrel, how funny about the Guitar Hero? I don't think I could ever do it without laughing at myself til I cried.
Nice seeing you, Columbia, as always!
Holly, nice seeing you. I really enjoyed your blog and will visit again soon.
Happy New Year Kitty! I love this video. My friend and I were just talking about this. I have wanted to start painting and I had all last week off but somehow I didn't end up painting! What happened to all those free days? Now I'm back at work and I come home tired. I am going to push myself to get started tonight. =)
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