Okay, so yesterday I promised you all a new post here today. Problem is, I’m dealing with a gigantic case of writer’s block—of the opposite kind.
In this case, it’s not about my not knowing what to write about.
It’s about having too many ideas, and not being able to focus.
Last Thursday I knew my next post would be about spirituality—how it’s essentially a wonderful thing, but so often gets used as another way to hit ourselves over the head about our own supposed inadequacy.
I started writing about that, and got off on a tangent about how “self-help” and “personal development” are the new spirituality, and why that’s both good and bad.
Which led me to think about how much I’ve gained from the self-help literature out there, and despite that, what I still haven’t found there yet.
And that turned into a digression on how I’m still looking for the magic bullet which will solve all my problems without my having to do any real, honest work on myself. Despite the fact that (a) I know it doesn’t exist, and (b) that’s not a very useful attitude.
Which started me wondering about what I’d say to my readers about that. And how I might write a post, or series of posts, or an ebook, or a newsletter, or whatever, about how to implement all the self-help and personal development stuff we read and hear.
That led me right back into familiar territory—how life feels so overwhelming that it’s hard to find the time and energy to implement anything new.
Reminding me of the post a few of you asked for, oh, over a year ago about how energy is currency.
And how I found new energy recently by getting involved in improvisational theater.
Et cetera.
Et cetera.
Et cetera.
And did I mention, et cetera?
Which all leads me to this moment, in which I sit here thinking maybe it’s a good time to ask again…
What it is that you would like to see me do with this space?
This isn’t some kind of bloggy trick in which I try to get you to do my work for me. Like I said, I already have too many ideas.
My brain feels like a wide funnel with a very narrow tube at the bottom.
All the things I want to write about are jostling each other to get through the tiny opening first, and being very rude about it.
Can you please help me restore some order here?
I would so appreciate your feedback.
Seriously. What would you like to see here? It doesn’t even have to be directly related to perfectionism. Do you have questions to ask? Things you’re curious about my perspective on? Topics you’d love to read about?
Want me to do a video post? Draw pictures? (Though I’ll be doing some of that here soon.) Write more poetry? Do some tabla drumming?
Let me know in the comments below, or by emailing me directly at michelle AT PracticeMakesImperfect.com. I can’t promise to follow up on each suggestion, but I’ll certainly take them all into consideration.
What results might even be a heady blend of stuff, since my mind appears to work that way.
This will help me channel my blogging energy into things that you’ll find helpful. Or entertaining. Or maybe they’ll just become warnings of what not to do yourselves. Let’s find out, shall we? 
Thank you in advance!
___________________________
EDIT:
Per the first commenter below, I’m adding a list of some of the topics I’m considering. Let me know if any of them strike your fancy–or if they spark other ideas about what you’d like to see here.
- energy as currency
- dealing with the fear of anger
- happiness vs. contentment
- caring too much about what others think of you
- becoming self-aware of your tendencies
- strategies to relax (possibly a series)
- taking very small, doable steps towards your goal(s)
- how to make a commitment to fun and pleasure
- the influence of the Puritan/Protestant work ethic
- our cultural assumptions and how they affect us
- when might you want to be perfect?
- how to balance “tough love” with overcoming perfectionism—or can you?
- how to forgive ourselves
- talking to your “inner control freak”
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Maybe start with showing us a list of your favorite bunch of ideas. And then we could start a conversation on ways we might all work with our lists to be able to fit in all the things we want to do.
Kim–Well, some of those favorite ideas are above.
But yes, I can certainly include a longer list, too. Will do that later tonight.
And you’re reminding me that I never finished my series of posts on To-Do Lists. Maybe #3 in that series should be my next one…
Because yes, How the Hell To Fit It All Into Such Limited-Seeming Time is one of my own key issues, and which I *can* (fortunately or unfortunately) talk about endlessly.
Thanks!
the energy as currency post sounds like one I’d LOVE to read!!!
Of course, so do the rest of them…lol. But my first choice is the energy as currency — I think that might even include bits of the other ideas.
p.s. I’m glad you wrote this post – nice to know I’m not the only one who has idea overload at times (uhoh, there’s another topic to write another post about…)
Square-Peg Karen recently posted..Disadvantaged
Okay, I’ve added a list of other ideas at the bottom of the post. Some of them will inevitably overlap each other once I start writing.
)
And thanks again, Karen–that “energy as currency” post definitely sounds like one I should be working on.
I’d love to read your thoughts and experiences on how to actually implement all those fabulous self-help/self-improvement ideas that we get so inspired by. I guess that would also dovetail with (or perhaps is the same thing as) taking small doable steps toward your goals. It’s oh so easy to find myself in overwhelm and just do nothing. (Or at least end up doing the things that must be done and the things that bring instant pleasure but no progress toward goals…)
Sarah O’Leary recently posted..From East Coast Back To An Empty Nest
Hi, Sarah!
Congrats to Rosie, by the way, and welcome home to you. Good to see you blogging again.
And thanks for your comment–this is indeed something I’ve been thinking a lot about for myownself lately.
I find it’s a lot like a Rubik’s cube. You find ways to implement the changes you want to make, some work better than others…and you invariably have to mess it all up again in order to make more progress.
Good to see you here!
Gaah! How frustrating is it when you don’t even type your own email address properly? Okay, THERE’S my pretty paint splash.
Michelle Russell recently posted..I Need Your Help!
Wow, I really want to know what you have to say about self-help and the magic bullet. What *is* the real work you have to be willing to do? How do you know when you’re doing it?
Maybe your ideafunnel is contagious, because now I’m thinking about connections between (un)willingness to work at something new, scary & hard and perfectionism-as-security-blanket…
Also: Tablas. Lord yes.
Anna–gotcha. Thanks so much for your input! “Contagious Ideafunnels”–wasn’t that a punk rock band back in the 80s? Hee.
And tablas? Whee! Gotta figure out how to do a video post with the cheap little recorder I’ve got now, but I’ll add that to the list. (Note: It doesn’t take much encouragement to get me to drum!)
Michelle Russell recently posted..I Need Your Help!
I’ve got quite the monkey mind going on myself. So, naturally I couldn’t just pick one topic. Here are my selections:
caring too much about what others think of you
becoming self-aware of your tendencies
taking very small, doable steps towards your goal(s)
how to make a commitment to fun and pleasure
our cultural assumptions and how they affect us
when might you want to be perfect?
how to balance “tough love” with overcoming perfectionism—or can you?
how to forgive ourselves
talking to your “inner control freak”
Oh, and I added one: Creating a strategy for just getting a project (or three) done.
Best,
Roxanne
Roxanne Samara recently posted..Emmys Opening Skit
Roxanne! Good to see you again, too! And thanks–I like the idea you added to the list a lot, too.
)
Michelle Russell recently posted..I Need Your Help!