codecalla

One of the things that I struggle with would be distraction.  Is it the age of media changes, computers that move faster than I do, smart phones, and multi-tasking?  Sometimes I think that we like to blame technology for our decision making skills.  I cannot blame my game system for distracting me when it is my choice to turn it on, and wake to the outside world a good 7 hours later.  For a world that craves resonance, a meeting of minds, hearts, and souls, we’re doing a good job of choosing otherwise.  On the Winter Solstice, I came to the conclusion that I must actively choose to do the things I want and need to do.  That creates a problem for the part of me that would like to anaesthetize myself to problems that seem too troublesome.  “Oh bother,” as a fluffy sweet-natured Pooh Bear might say.  But I think I should be bothered, so I can complete those tasks and move on to what I really want to do.  Procrastination is the number one flaw that my writing students claim to possess.  I rather wonder instead if we should be addressing decision making skills and perseverance.  No one wants a doctor who quits midway through a surgery, or says, “I’m just not feeling it.”   (excepting of course in very specific circumstances where the health of the patient is at risk, and there should be a change).

So distraction, however it may occur, rears it’s ugly head in what Steven Pressfield calls Resistance.  For further discussion on Resistance, I suggest “The War of Art”.  My distraction is that I often undercut my goals before I attempt to achieve them.   In order to live a more fulfilling life, I’ve decided to actively choose.  It may take some time, and I’m sure, quite a bit of backsliding, but if I hold every moment up for scrutiny, I may actually accomplish the goals I’ve set for myself and enjoy it.  Is this like Dickens’ “Great Expectations” ?  Well, Pip too faced adversaries and made choices.  I can only hope to do the same.