Easy Makes it Harder
I am one of those writers who lives with a constant din of ideas coming from their brain. It's like walking down the street of a big city but, instead of traffic noise, it's the compulsion to create. It's definitely one of those blessing/curse deals. I've been meditating for a few years to help deal with it (and other things) and while it has helped make my brain diarrhea easier to deal with, it's still far from easy.
The cauldron of ideas continues to bubble, though more softly and more slowly now, but still, each of those bubbles pops an idea into my conscious mind many times a day. Not all of the ideas are great or even good, so those are easy to let float by "like a passing cloud" as meditation teachers like to say. However, some of the ideas that pop into my mind are downright insidious.
These are the ideas that seem easy to execute. I'll think "Oh, hey, that's a great idea and an easy one to execute! I should totally do that!"
So, I do, only to discover, like so many things in life, there are many mundane, boring, not-worth-mentioning-but-nonetheless-progress-stopping obstacles that like to slap me in the face. They often come in the form of issues I have with the tools I use.
My Tools Are Part of the Problem
For instance, even though I've now been using the same video editing app for well over a year, there are still things I am learning about it and there are some things I hate about it. Stupid interface behaviors in this app and others just get in my way and compound to the point where they waste hours of my time each week. I can't just switch to another app because I've been searching for years for a good video editing app and this is as good as I've found.
But I Keep Making This One Mistake
I have this weird flaw in my brain that still sees the positive in too many things in the world--especially in technology. When technology works as advertised, it's great and I am right to think that easy-to-execute ideas will be just that. But, as I often say, technology is great, except when it isn't and you never know when it's not going to be. That's where the not-fun begins.
Life outside of technological tools also throws up those mundane, boring, not-worth-mentioning-but-nonetheless-progress-stopping obstacles. Like a pet puking on the door jam of the bathroom, or your shower not having any hot water and you love yourself too much to take a cold shower so you end up sitting in yesterday's sweat as you work. Then there's the wifi going down, the refrigerator making an annoying sound, or just other unexpected random crap. All these things slow us all down--but I never factor them in when I am deciding what to do next.
So, what happens when I don't factor them in? I do the easy things which turn into hard things and it also happens that these easy things are never the things that matter most to me, so the damage is twofold. I am enticed by the easy ideas and end up pushing the projects that are truly important to me to the bottom of my priority list.
Maybe I just Need to Remember this One Phrase
From now on I need to keep just one simple phrase in mind when considering what to do next: "Easy Makes it Hard"
Easy doesn't always make it hard--or doesn't it? I feel like a nice couple hours of working on a hard (important) writing project is less debilitating for me than when I work on an easy project only to have all these obstacles come up. I tend to get more angry and find myself somewhat anxiety-ridden, questioning why I try to do things ever at all. Meanwhile, after working on the hard (important) project for a couple hours I feel tired but also like I’ve done some good work.
This is despite those same obstacles coming up during the couple hours of writing a hard (important) project. I guess I know that a hard (important) project is hard so when I work on something easy, it’s a surprise when it’s hard.
Still with Me? 🥰
Of course, "Easy Makes it Hard" is still an oversimplification. There are ways to make the easy stuff that is hard to be easier. For instance, I can just treat an "easy" project just like I treat a "hard" (important) project and divide the easy project into smaller chunks. At that point, though, shouldn't I just be doing the hard (important) project?
I mean, probably! 😅
I think what I also need to do is look at the mundane obstacles differently--maybe as part of the process of creating? Maybe try to file them in my mind under the category "If it were easy everyone would do it"? “People” always say that you should look at obstacles as growth opportunities or challenges, but the thing is, I’m already doing the challenge. All these obstacles are just gravy and I hate gravy.
About these Obstacles…
We never really talk about these obstacles, do we? I find myself constantly falling down boring, real-life, "responsible" rabbit holes. I can't be the only one--but why doesn't any creative ever talk about these pitfalls? It's a major battle for me that is more than just a question of "time management".
What do *you* do to get past all of life's mundane obstacles? Is the solution to my problem really obvious to you? Might I see that solution myself if only I wasn't so close to, or even part of, the problem? Oh, I hope so, because then you can just tell me in the comments!
No pressure--you can also just say "hi!" if you want!
Regardless, thanks for reading, if you have been! If you haven't been, you have an unorthodox way of reading. Not that I'm judging, but most folks start at the top. Ah well, you do you! Just make sure to subscribe and leave a comment so I know you exist!