Today I launch my Three Damn Things list for the Type-A personality. TDT is designed for the Type-A person trapped in a Type-B body. Or, put another way, the right-brained person trapped in a left-brained head.
You want to create, but you can’t with so much internal noise, the frustration of letting things go unchecked. If only the voices would stop yelling at you to fix this, call on that, sew this, trim that. The voice is shrill and always will be to the creative Type-A type.
This isn’t about basic life things that need accomplished. I’m talking about the things we can put off for later. And later never comes. If your car is due for an oil change, what’s another thousand miles going to hurt? If you haven’t balanced your checkbook in seventeen months, what’s another month going to hurt? You’ve been meaning to fight that erroneous medical charge, but fighting anything is unpleasant. Put it off. Besides, it’s extra. Extra as in I don’t have to do it and nobody will ever know.
We pretend we don’t care about the clutter that is growing like mold on a shower curtain. We pretend we don’t see the actual mold on the shower curtain. “The new me,” you say (the one who is pretending to be someone they’re not) “is blind to all that. I don’t care. I’m going to finish this novel if it kills me.”
And killing you, it is. BECAUSE YOU CAN’T LIVE LIKE THAT. It isn’t you. That lifestyle doesn’t fit your personality type. Trust me; I know. You will remain preoccupied with whatever it is you are neglecting. The bigger the neglect (only Type-A would consider something like not color-coding her closet as neglect), the more apt you are to writer’s block. And neglecting your writing to take care of the internal nag doesn’t work either because now it’s your writing that’s nagging at you. It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle, and you need to do something about it, damnit.
When I hear about writers landing an agent eight months after they started the novel, I die a little inside. They are clearly Type B and right-brained all the way. They can write like there’s nothing else to do (I bet their CDs and DVDs aren’t even in alphabetical order). And the Type-A, right-brained can only write when there is nothing else to do.
Don’t take it anymore! Damn it.
Why “damn”? Because I’m fed up, damnit. Writing a to-do list is all fine and great and everything but most of what I put on mine are really just reminders of stuff I have to do and therefore unlikely to put off: scoop litter box, empty dishwasher, pay bills, etc. It’s the extra stuff that put me at my breaking point—damnit—and it’s messing with my creative flow. When I have too much stuff piling on, I can’t think around all the clutter. I can’t write. I can’t blog. I can’t move forward. I’m stuck in the quicksand of life, damnit.
Today. And every day from this one, I will do three things on my backlog. I have to be strategic. Photo albums will take all day so I will list it with two very small things like pull the six-foot-tall weed and find my glasses that I misplaced months ago. I use dime-store reading glasses as a replacement, but these are prescription, and I paid good money for them, damnit (I am fully aware that by searching for my glasses I will find many other neglected piles in my house. I don’t care. I’m ready, with my pen and pad to add those to my list too, damnit).
I can’t wait to wear all my clothes that needed ironed or needed a button. I can’t wait to see my hallway lined with my kids’ school pics from pre-k to current. I can’t wait to make that recipe that’s been glaring at me from a fridge magnet for, I kid you not, fifteen months. But just knowing I’m back in control will silence the internal nagging so I can focus more on my writing. Damnit.
What personality type do you think you are? Do you have any damn things nagging at you?
Tricia
Life can be hard. So much to do, not enough time to do it. Even when I think I’ve pared my life down, things seem to pile on. Good luck with your new list making idea. I write lists all the time. If I put something on it that I haven’t done in a week, I delete it. It obviously wasn’t that important if I haven’t done it all ready. (That’s not including things like bills and such.)
Stay well.
Nila~I’ve got so many of those “wasn’t that important” that they’ve now evolved into important, stacking up against those that are always important. Now I don’t know what I just said.
So… How is the new plan coming, funny (tragically familiar) woman? I’ve been remiss in going through my email inbox and thus, my notification that you’d blogged sat untended for far too long. Sorry! I love these two posts because you are always hilarious. I also recognize my own “put off doing the stuff that absolutely means the most to me” tendencies, and I know how really fucking terrible they can be… funny or not.
Hope you’re still on track. (Though, can I just say, I think 1 backlog thing a day would be awesome.)
xoxo
J, would you believe I’m down to 2 damn things? No? Okay, I’m at 1 damn thing, if I’m lucky.
Today, I trimmed back my potato vine, damnit. If I get to the quinoa recipe that’s been on my fridge since the beginning of creation then I’ll have accomplished 2 damn things. Damn well better be good for taking up valuable fridge real estate for so long.
Ha! If it’s good, let me know. I could use a good damn quinoa recipe! xo
J, it was surprisingly good. Here’t is:
dry saute 1 cup of quinoa (takes the bitter flavor out) for 2 or 3 min on high
add 2 Tbs of coconut oil and saute with 3 chopped garlic cloves and one onion about 5 min. add 2 cups of chicken broth and 1Tbs of curry and 1 tsp of cayenne pepper. after it boils, cover and simmer 25 min.
You can improvise and add all sorts of junk: mushrooms, avo, red pepper, etc. Yay!
Sounds delicious. (And easy, which is a necessity I forgot to mention. Thank you!)
Exactly what is all over my floor!!! “This isn’t about basic life things that need accomplished. I’m talking about the things we can put off for later. And later never comes. If your car is due for an oil change, what’s another thousand miles going to hurt? If you haven’t balanced your checkbook in seventeen months, what’s another month going to hurt? You’ve been meaning to fight that erroneous medical charge, but fighting anything is unpleasant. Put it off. Besides, it’s extra. Extra as in I don’t have to do it and nobody will ever know.”
I suggest dealing with the photo album like this: DO ONE PAGE of photo album.
Cynthia, that is hilarious because that is essentually what I am doing. Getting down the photo albums counted as one. I followed it up by dragging out the photographs, that being my 2nd damn thing. Then I did one page. Now I’m in a pickle: I have to print more pics and buy more albums. It’ll never end.
I would like it to end.
I am a type-a writer. I feel obligated to edit as I write. When I let type-b take over, type a gets mad when there is too much revision.
Ahmnodt~Yes, the types are always competing for control. I wish there were a way to gag one while utilizing the other.
Oh damn, I sure do put things off. I’m a master of ignoring what needs to be done. I can even put off writing that to do list.
Loved your post, Tricia!
Laura~You gave me the idea to add “write list” on my 3 Damn Things list. But like you, I’ll likely put it off. I’ve been cheating right and left with my list, going so far as to right “Ignore List” as part of my accomplishments. Sheesh. What am I going to do with me?
So I’m a left-brainer, huh? That would explain a lot of things. Some might suggest that I’m a no-brainer. That would also explain a lot of things because I’m also very good at ignoring tasks that REALLY need doing – yet still I can’t get started on the sequel to Silent Apocalypse!
Tooty, I relate. Lately I’ve been working on achieving at least one damn thing to compensate for the zero damn writing thing that’s been going on. Now not a damn thing is happening.
I’m missing your doses of delight around here, Tricia. Where are you these days? Writing? Or maybe still working on that d*** list?
Thanks, Carol. Type A took over my brain and left me little time for my creative side. I’ve been itching to get back to blogging and short story writing. I hear the words calling to me, but I keep running in place, never reaching them. Soon. Soon. Soon.
I miss you all too, but I am still reading your blogs.
oh, whew! I was thinking the worst. So glad you are well and being creative. yay!
Tricia, I just read your short story Tree Hugger. (I know, I am wayyyyyyyyy behind the times, sorry) Wow! is what I said .. out loud … that is good!
You are a great writer, Tricia. Write on! :)
Lynn~Thank you for reading Tree Hugger and for commenting. Some of the blog posts you “liked” had me reading them all over again. Now I’m itching to get back to blogging, which I’m wayyyyyyyyy behind in as well.
Now I’m off to explore your blog