This year at school I didn’t wear a costume for Halloween. I can’t remember if I kept the costumes I had (and if so, where they might be) or if I recycled them when I moved. But another option was to wear orange and black. Well, I don’t own anything orange so I just dressed in black. Then at noon, it dawned on me that I really was in costume… I was a black widow.
Do you have Sitzfleisch? If you’re a writer, you probably do, or at least you wish you did.
According to wordsmith.org, Sitzfleisch is:
noun:
1. The ability to sit through or tolerate something boring.
2. The ability to endure or persist in a task.
In other words (#2), to park your butt in the chair and get it done. I first read about it here.
I am working on becoming more consistent in my writing practice, so I think it’s great that a cool word has appeared to describe exactly what I need exactly when I need it! “When the student is ready…” as they say.
The blog post also talks about ways to get going when you first sit down to write. What works best for me is to stop the previous session with one change left that I want to make, or with one idea left to add or start. I just highlight the area or jot down the idea and leave it. That makes starting the next time much easier.
I’d love to hear what works for you.
I have a friend who is a beginning runner like me and she was looking for a virtual running buddy. That sounded just like what I needed! Someone to cheer me on when I’m doing good, to not make excuses for me but to find the positives when I’m down and can’t see them for myself, and someone that I can do the same for.
When I was thinking what to say in my message to her, I automatically started using quotation marks – and not in a good way.
I’m a beginning “runner” – in other words, because I’m slow I shouldn’t really say that I run.
I “try” to run 3 times a week – in other words, because I don’t always succeed, I shouldn’t really count it as trying.
Someone to cheer me on when I’m doing “good” – in other words, because I’m not the fastest or run the longest distance, I shouldn’t really make too much of my little accomplishments.
Yikes. If someone else said that about me, in that way – Dianne’s a “runner” – I’d consider it a slam. So why do I do it to myself? They might just be little marks, but they’re powerful. I’ve decided it’s time to stop using them as belittle marks. Here’s my first attempt:
This morning I ran 2 km non-stop. It took me 18 minutes and 40 seconds. I’m proud of myself. Wednesday I’m going to try 2.5 km. Look out Bridge City Boogie 5km – I’m coming for ya! 🙂