Wednesday 7 May 2008

Procrastination

I guess I’m putting off two jobs I don’t really want to do.

One is making those phone calls, or even the decisions about which phone calls to make to get that huge novel of mine out into the world. I keep telling myself I have other things to do. I am not quite sure, actually, how this fits into the bigger scheme of things. How do I fit it into my routines which are already based on principles similar to the 7 Habits as by Stephen Covey. Am I being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win / win ( I get my book published; they get a great book), seeking first to understand and then be understood, synergising and sharpening the saw? I haven’t really got it safely and sensibly programmed in.

That’s easily fixed – change what you do. But I’m getting the feeling that I’m quite glad I haven’t got it properly programmed in because it gives me the excuse not to do it. Ha!

The second is getting back to “Potatoes in Spring” and writing the chapter about how the German girls reacted to the outbreak of war in 1939. I keep telling myself I don’t know a thing about it, but what happened to the writerly idea of exploring with the imagination? Is it just that I don’t want to face the issues?

I spent some considerable time yesterday writing to the Head of one of the Stuttgart Waldorf (Steiner) Schools. I already have an interesting reply from him and from a colleague of his who will really be able to help. I guess I’ll now use having to reply to them as a further excuse not to actually write that chapter.

Plus, I have to get all of my worksheets ready for a couple of school visits the week after next.

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