Friday, December 31, 2010

Un-resolutions and other Mind Games

Hi there! It's me again.

(Or is it? For all you know, this could be an impostor, hijacking Linda's blog for nefarious purposes, like...oh, hell. It's me. I've just been watching the Twilight Zone marathon. It's affecting my brain.)


Is it just me, or did 2010 go by mind-blowingly fast? Honest to Pete, I feel like a cartoon character in a revolving door. Whoosh! Especially these past few weeks, when I've been have tons of fun with the fam. ZIP! Gone. (Boo-hoo, waaaah, sniffle...) 


Anyhoo, I suppose this must be the obligatory New Year's Resolutions post. Which is kind of a problem for me, because I don't really do resolutions. Sure as taxes, as soon as I make a well-intentioned resolution, something* will plant itself solidly between me and it.

If I resolve to lose weight, high-calorie food will jump into my mouth every time I open it. (Hand to God, people. The food jumps.)

If I resolve organize my woefully cluttered closets, a hundred and ten more urgent tasks will magically present themselves, demanding my immediate attention. (What? Conquering 4-deck Spider Solitaire is urgent.)

If I resolve to write ten new pages of my WIP every day, my characters will laugh in my face and say, "You wish." (Yeah, they can be a-holes. Don't know where they get it from...)

So, I play mind-games with myself instead. I never vow to accomplish anything. I just think--vaguely, like I'm sneaking up on the idea--that it "might be nice" if a certain something were to come about. And then I start to do "just this little bit" toward achieving it.

For instance, I might think, I'll really pig out tomorrow, but today this [insert name of obnoxiously healthy foodstuff here] really looks yummy, so I'll eat it instead of the fourteen cupcakes and two pounds of bacon.

Or, I'll just toss out these two shirts I haven't worn in the past five years. That's all. No major overhauling of the closet. 

And my favorite: I'll add a couple of paragraphs to the WIP, just for grins, something I probably won't even keep. 

Once I start a task, I tend to zone out and just keep going. Get into the Zen of it or something. Continue on autopilot, until something trips me up. Oddly, I usually manage to accomplish quite a bit this way. Especially if I can fool myself that whatever I'm working toward doesn't matter all that much.

If I don't try so hard...you know, if I play a little hard to get...then Stuff Gets Done.

I know! Silly, huh? It's like with my daughter's cats. The more you want them to sit on your lap, the more they ignore you. Pretend they don't exist (my son is an expert at this) and they will stick to you like stink on shi--er, like lint on felt.

So, nope. No resolutions here.

How about you? Are you the resolute sort, or do you have a few mind games of your own? Do share. :)

*Granted, it's usually my subconscious. She's such a contrary bitch.

9 comments:

Jeffe Kennedy said...

Very much like my post today, Linda! ~Toasting to baby steps, creeping up on cats and sand into pearls!~

Anne Gallagher said...

I like the way you sneak up on your ideas. I think I need to try that. I had a little of it yesterday when I opened the linen closet to put away towels. Had to reposition a few, which meant removing a few more, which meant taking out a whole pile which in turn led to cleaning the linen closet. See how that just snuck up on me?

Maybe I should try it with the dishes.

Happy Happy New Year, Linda!!!

Steph Schmidt said...

I never could get into making resolutions because by day three I forgot I made them. But, I think eating fourteen cupcakes & two pounds of bacon over the course of 2011 sounds like a delicious resolution I can't forget.

Linda G. said...

Jeffe -- I'll drink to that. Cheers! :)

Anne -- See how well it works? Of course, sometimes it works with stuff I don't even want to get done, but oh well. ;) Happy New Year to you, too! :)

SM -- Over the course of the whole year? Uh...I was talking about a much shorter span of time. ;)

Deborah Small said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Deborah Small said...

No resolutions here, either. Like you, Murphy's Law gets in the way. I saw a bumper sticker once that describes my experience with making goals/resolutions:

If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. :)

So I ain't telling. No way. No how. Mhmm-mhmm. Ziiiiiip!

Happy New Year, Linda. I hope 2011 realizes all your hopes and dreams whatever they are. :)

Deb

abby mumford said...

ah ha! you're reverse psychology-ing yourself. or, well wait. it's not so much reverse psychology so much as setting the bar low so that you can jump over it and keep on keeping on.

whatever it is. I LIKE IT.

Tara said...

I don't really do resolutions either. I use a version of your sneak-up approach. Btw, I thought I'd tell you I love your blog. Oh, I have? How 'bout, you are awesome and crack me up? That too. Wow. I have no originality...

Happy New Year!

Linda G. said...

Deb -- Damn that Murphy! Happy Unresolved New Year to you, too. :)

Abby -- Yup. I am the Queen of Reverse Psychology. ;)

Tara -- Ah, another unresolved person. Our club is bigger than I thought. And thanks! :)