What's bugging you?

Shortly after I got my Macbook Air, my laptop strap folded and twisted itself inside the pocket that holds the shoulder pad.

And almost daily for months, I've been aware that the pad that's supposed to cushion my shoulder has NOT been doing its job.

And what have I done about it?

Nothing.  Nada.

Instead, every time I noticed my shoulder hurting, I tugged at the strap and forced it to turn over.

With the padding temporarily in place, my shoulder stopped hurting and I got on with things.  Until moments later when the strap righted itself, the pad flipped back over and my shoulder hurt again.

Things went something like this:

"Ow."  (Quick fix.)

"Ow!"  (Quick fix.)

Etc.

(What a cycle!)

Today I found myself standing outside in the sunshine, waiting for the transit bus. My laptop bag was on the ground in front of me and I noticed the length of the strap as it laid on the sidewalk.

Didn't look that tricky to fix.

In less than one minute, I unhooked a metal clasp and refastened it so my laptop bag's shoulder pad was properly in place.  The whole trip home, my shoulder felt great.

And the whole trip home I kept asking myself why the heck I hadn't taken the simple step to fix my twisted shoulder strap much, much earlier.

I realized that, rather than take action, I'd been busy thinking...

• ...I'd get to it later, "when I had time"
• ...the simple task of fixing the strap right would be a lot more difficult, time-consuming and frustrating than it really was.
• ...I could rely on a quick fix, when a single, focused minute of my attention was all it took to solve the annoying situation and make myself more comfortable.

So what's all this got to do with your writing?

I don't want you to make the same silly mistake.

Take a few minutes right now to think about your writing environment.  Anything broken?  Any supplies need restocking?  How's the lighting?

We life coaches call the small things that annoy us "tolerations," and addressing them is a great way to boost your energy and help you focus on the things that matter most in your life.

In the first few weeks of our work together, I have each new coaching client look at their writing environment, life and career with an inquisitive eye.  Once we have a list, my clients get busy.  (And boy do they feel better.)

I'm guessing that if you really think about it, you can find a single thing (or two or three) that you could improve in just a single, focused minute. 

You don't need to get little divets in your shoulder each day.  Take a little action and see for yourself how great it feels to invest a focused minute or two on your well-being and comfort and ease.

Your writing will thank you.

So.  What's bugging you?  And what are you going to do about it?

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My Two Days to Write virtual intensive includes a one-hour audio lesson on creating a writing environment, schedule and support network that work for you.  Learn more here:  http://www.coachmarla.com/twodaystowrite/index.html

 

Comments

[Sonja Jobson]

Thanks Marla, this is great advice! Sometimes you just need to put things in perspective, or simply take a minute to focus instead of always pushing things to the back of your mind. This was a good reminder.