P is for Procrastination by Carol Harrison

 

P is for Procrastination

Procrastination. I am good at that. Do you ever struggle with procrastinating?

Procrastination is the act or habit of delaying or postponing some task that needs to be done, whether it is around the house, at work, or in our writing. I have always tended to procrastinate some things and I am in a season right now where procrastination seems to loom large in everyday life. Tasks appear to be larger than they really are. The tiredness due to health concerns and grief make motivating myself difficult. What causes you to put things off?

Some of the causes of procrastination for various people include:

-        Fear of failure

-        Lack of clarity about the task

-        Lack of structure

-        Perfectionism

-        Laziness

-        Allowing good reasons to become excuses once the reason is no longer valid

I’ve been reading (another way I procrastinate) about ways to overcome these various causes of procrastination. Even good things can sometimes become those excuses to delay doing a necessary task such as reading. It is a good thing for writers to engage in but I’ve found myself reading so much other things get left undone.

Fear of failure:

-        Start with small steps that are manageable as you work towards a larger end goal.

-        Build your confidence by taking small steps

-        Listen to what others have said about your writing. Read critiques you received. Sometimes our mind only sees the negatives and forgets to look at the positives.

Lack of clarity:

-        Can you break down the task into smaller steps – stepping stones to reaching the destination of a job completed?

-        Having deadlines to work towards gives a clearer vision of necessary timelines for your goals. I seem to work better when there are deadlines, even self-imposed ones.

Lack of Structure

-        Find a place that works for you to concentrate on your writing – a dedicated space if that is what works for you.

-        Figure out a designated time of day that is optimal for you to accomplish some writing or editing.

-        Remember that editing and marketing are part of the writing journey too.

 

Lack of Motivation

-        Is there some physical reason for lacking motivation? Is there a health concern or a need to step back from tasks for a short time due to circumstances?

-        Get an accountability partner. I have people who ask me how my writing is coming, what I’m working on, and how I’m feeling about the entire process. They also pray for me as I write or speak.

-        Accountability partners can also help with goal setting or breaking those goals into smaller steps on your to-do list. My one daughter reminds me to look back at what I’ve crossed off the to-do list and get a picture of the done list to see what I’ve managed to accomplish.

There are likely many more tips you’ve encountered or that work for you regarding this topic of procrastination. It has been a good exercise for me to take a look at why I procrastinate and get some ideas about how to overcome it. Now to put them into practice sooner rather than some time in the future.  

 

 Carol Harrison writes and often procrastinates from her home in Saskatoon. She loves exploring other adventures through spending time researching family history and reading.

 

P is for Poetry by Steph Beth Nickel

it may sound cliche

it may sound self-righteous

it may sound unbelievable

but I remember the first time

i heard it

sitting in the audience

listening

learning

interesting perspective

in response to the comment

i’m doing fine

under the circumstances

the man was asked

what he was doing

under the circumstances

if we are followers of Jesus Christ

we have already been raised with him

therefore

in a real sense

we are not under our circumstances

does that mean we don’t hurt

suffer loss

get disheartened

become confused

deal with doubt and dark times

absolutely not

as a hurting child is

gathered into their father’s arms

God is there

to hold us close

for believers

though life isn’t always easy

we can rest

knowing

we need not dwell

under the circumstances

I originally wrote this poem in 2011.

Petrichor, Petunias and Promises by Sharon Heagy

 

(Taken from the front deck of our farm)

           Oh, man! What a wonderful scent. Stepping out on the deck my nostrils were filled with the scent of approaching rain, even though none was falling and the sky was fairly clear. As it turns out there is a term for the smell of rain, petrichor. It was coined by a couple of Australian Scientists in 1964. Apparently during dry periods plants give off an oil that is absorbed by clay-based rocks and soil. When humidity returns, the pores of the rocks and soil absorb the moisture releasing the oil into the air. The oil mixes with a bacteria called geosmin creating that aromatic perfume signalling the coming rain. The scent becomes stronger when rainfall arrives provided it is not a full-fledged downpour. The raindrops trap tiny air bubbles on the ground which then shoot up, much like the bubbles in a carbonated beverage. Bursting, they release that sweet earthy aroma that tickles our noses. Having endured drought years in our farming career, that smell is the smell of heaven relaying the promise that droughts will eventually give way to God’s blessed restoration of the land. Even when all we get is the smell without the rain, we know one day the rains will return.

            Popping back into the house from the deck I continued filling some seed trays with dirt, adding a little water to the soil to make it stick together. Taking tweezers, I carefully pushed little coated petunia seeds into the prepared trays, 72 plants per tray. Then I watered them again and set the tray on a table where the sun and light streamed in from the east and southeast. Then waiting began. Waiting for the fascinating process whereby a sprout would crack through the seed crust like a hatchling from an egg, pushing upward towards the light. Gaining vigor from God given energy created in the seed itself, the sprout will finally poke through the surface and into the sunlight with an ‘ahhh’ sigh of relief. (Well, at least in my imagination) There is a promise in the planting. Take a seed and watch it grow. A miracle is encapsulated in each tiny little specimen.

            But nothing grows without water and God is the ultimate source of all that nutritious elixir to grow His plants. And His people. And His writers. All need the watering of the Lord to grow.

            When we submit our writing to Him, He provides the seed, an idea. A thought or two. As He pours into us, the seed cracks open into a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a page. Now you’re on a roll. But then come the dry spells, times of frustration or times of imposed rest. Words won’t come or if they do they are without power or passion. A jumbled mess. Yet the Lord is still there, faithful, waiting for us to turn like a sunflower to the sun as His fragrance leads us to His presence. The scent of nourishing holy rain. ‘Ahhhh.’

            As the Lord pours onto us and into us, our work grows and expands and eventually blossoms, giving off a fragrance all its own. Unique to the writer and their partnership with the Lord, no two alike. And perhaps if we have courage to share our work with others, a new seed of God’s shall be planted in someone else’s heart. 

 

Patricia MacLachlan and Poetry by Joylene M Bailey

 

I know I've said this before: Patricia MacLachlan is one of my favourite authors. You may be familiar with her book Sarah, Plain and Tall, for which she won the Newbery Medal. It was produced as a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie in 1991, starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken. 

The movie is wonderful. The book is brilliant.

In an interview, MacLachlan once said that she wanted to create an intense emotional experience for the reader using very few words. It's because she's a genius at saying so much with so little that I love her work.

All the Places to Love (above) is the most beautiful children's book I've come across. Her words are spare, but enough to settle into your heart.

When I was older, Papa and I plowed the fields.

Where else is soil so sweet? he said.

Once Papa and I lay down in the field, holding hands,

And the birds surrounded us:

Raucous black grackles, redwings,

Crows in the dirt that swaggered like pirates.

When we left, Papa put a handful of dirt in his pocket.

I did too.

It reads like poetry. And I think that's why, years ago, I decided to take poetry classes. I wanted to learn to be less wordy, to write tight, to make words sizzle. With poetry, every word speaks. And isn't that what makes poetry profound?

Please allow me to share some snippets from poems I've recently savoured. I dare you not to be affected or astounded by at least one phrase. 

No, no, there is no going back

Less and less you are 

that possibility you were.

More and more you have become 

those lives and deaths

that have belonged to you.

...

Every day you have less reason

not to give yourself away.

- Wendell Berry [1993-I]

*****

The work of the world is common as mud.

Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.

But the thing worth doing well done

has shape that satisfies, clean and evident.

- Marge Piercy [To be of use]

*****

This day is all that is

good and fair.

It is too dear

with its hopes and invitations, 

to waste a moment on yesterdays.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson [From a Letter to His Daughter]

*****

Was it for this I uttered prayers,

And sobbed and cursed and kicked the stairs,

That now, domestic as a plate,

I should retire at half-past eight?

- Edna St. Vincent Millay [Grown Up]

*****

The birds have vanished down the sky

Now the last cloud drains away.

We sit together, the mountain and me,

until only the mountain remains.

- Li Po [Zazen on Ching-t'ing Mountain]

*****

I'm so thankful for authors and poets who worked hard on their craft, with purpose and dedication, so that someday this reader would be touched and inspired by their words. I can only hope to do the same.

~~~~~

Feature photo by Joy Bailey

Joy lives and writes in lake country, Alberta, where she resides on three pretty little acres with The Cowboy, a couple of seniors, and a couple of pets. Her latest story was a bedtime one for the grands, about a purple horse named Secret, and her turtle friend, Lightning Bolt. Find more of her joy-infused writing at her blog, Scraps of Joy.

Praying for Our Readers by Sandi Somers

 

I wish that I had told my writing students to give some thought to what they wanted their books to make happen inside the people who read them.

Frederick Buechner

 Ten years ago in my first months writing for our blog, I wrote a post based on John Bunyan’s conversation with his book. I repeat it here with some adaptations.

John Bunyan’s Conversation with His Book

One author who articulated what he wanted to happen inside his readers was John Bunyan, who wrote The Pilgrim's Progress, one of the best-known allegories in Christian literature.

In the sequel, the journey of Pilgrim’s wife and children, Bunyan instructed the book to bravely go out into the world and tell people how much God loves them.

The book raised objections (and I’m paraphrasing some here): “What if they don’t believe me? What if people get angry? What if they criticize you, the author? What if they don’t like the way you wrote?”

Bunyan answered, “Don’t be afraid, Book, as you are a friend and are sent to friends, not enemies. If anyone objects to your authenticity, come back to me, and I will confirm that you are mine. Turn away from people who criticize you. Seek instead those who will rejoice when they read you.”

Prayers for Our Readers 

Pilgrim’s Progress, written over three hundred years ago, has challenged me again to be more specific as I pray for my readers. I’m still learning that praying our words into our readers’ lives can have a great impact. Here are points you may find helpful: 

·       Before praying for your readers, ask God for a listening attitude for His inspiration, His message and His guidance for the particular writing of the day.

·       Clarify your overall goal for the readers of each particular w-i-p.

·       Ask God to take your writing to those who need to hear from God.

·       Pray that each article will be a work of art to challenge your readers’ intellects as well as their spirits.

·       Ask the living Lord to step out of the sentences, paragraphs and ideas to leave His gentle touch on their lives.

·       Know how your prayers have great power. “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT).

·       Our church’s mission is for each person to know Jesus personally and become His devoted follower. Join Bunyan’s prayer:

 And may (your words) persuade some that go astray,

To turn their Foot and Heart to the right Way.[1]

And you? What do you want your writing to make happen inside your readers? As you explore this question, what are you discovering about how you can pray for yourself, your message, and your readers? What is God prompting you to do?

Image by Our Daily Bread

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[1]Adapted from John Bunyan, Revised and Updated by L. Edward Hazelbaker, The Pilgrims Progress in Modern English, (North Brunswick, NJ colon Bridge -Logos Publishers. 1998) 215 to 221.