You know those days when you sit down at the computer, and suddenly there are these “really important things” you just have to do before you write? I’ve decided to call these things Dragons.
I should clarify here that I’m not thinking of Eastern dragons who bring good luck, or Saphira-like dragons who would love and protect me. I’m thinking of European-style dragons who want to fry villages and eat people.
A Dragon is anything that might distract me from my goal. A prime example: the Facebook app on my iPhone. I have put it in a box labeled “Dragons,” which reminds me to think twice before opening it. And since putting it there, I’ve developed a series of useful questions I can ask before I open it:
Am I feeling selfless enough today to be pleased by the exotic vacations my friends are taking?
Is my ego strength strong enough to handle everyone’s brags about their high functioning kids or the new deck they just finished to the tune of $$$$$$$?
Do I really want to know which of my grad school colleagues is doing a TED talk?
If I’m honest with myself, the answer to these questions is “No.” If I want to write today (and let’s say, for argument’s sake, that I do), I don’t want my own green-eyed monster to wake. It will drag me back into its lair, tell me what an impostor I am, and assure me that my time is better spent doing something useful, like rearranging my sock drawer.
If this sounds familiar to you, let’s make a pact right now: Let’s let sleeping dragons lie.