Distractions are such a funny thing. Sometimes we choose them; they’re a way to avoid something we don’t want to deal with. Other times they show up uninvited. Lately, for me, it’s been this blog post. I’ve been working on it for awhile, and it’s basically done. All that’s left is adding pictures and doing a final read through before I post it.
And then…right on cue…here come the distractions.
Low energy. No motivation. The discipline just wasn’t there. I told myself I needed the “right setting”: a cafe, or a library, which of course never happened.
Then I’m scrolling social media and keep seeing posts about Substack, Patreon, and newsletters…All of these creators use subscription models and get paid for it. And my brain goes oooh, maybe I should try that. Maybe the platform I’m on isn’t where I’m supposed to be.
*This is where I have a small confession, because I don’t quite know how people are going to feel about this next part.*
When my thoughts get jumbled up like that, I sometimes talk it out with Claude. I shared the Patreon/Substack idea I saw everywhere, half-hoping I’d get “that’s a great idea!”
Yeah…that didn’t happen.
Instead, it was more like, “slow your roll! Let’s get the actual blog up and start posting consistently first. THEN you can go back to the Patreon/Substack idea for early releases or behind-the-scenes stuff.”
Basically, I was trying to fly before I’d even started crawling. And when I saw it laid out in front of me, I realized just that. I knew that if I tried to do too much too fast, I’d get overwhelmed, and if it didn’t work out, that voice would show up. The one that says I’m not as good as the other creators, that my writing isn’t good enough (I call that voice Patrice. Not to be confused with the fun character from How I Met Your Mother…I just really like saying “NOBODY ASKED YOU, PATRICE!”).
Which, when I sit and think about it…is complete bullshit. I know that I’m a good writer. I don’t need to compare myself to others.
That distraction taught me something. It almost completely derailed me from a post that I was two steps away from sharing. But now that I’ve named it, I’ve got more clarity moving forward. BONUS…it gave me an idea for a second post: this one. Something a little more raw and not quite as polished as the other post I’ve been working on.
Distractions really do cause you to stop and think: what am I using this as a distraction from? If you sit with it instead of giving in, I’ve found it gets curious rather than frustrating. Instead of “ugh, I’m distracted, this will never get done”, the frame of thinking becomes, “what is this actually pulling me away from, and why does it conveniently show up right before I’m finished with a goal I’m working on?”
Just a little food for thought.
Not Broken...Becoming 