Someday Syndrome

Why Hate TV?

I just finished watching the season premiere of Ugly Betty and experienced a whack of emotions from cheering “You go, Claire!” to wanting to curl up in a ball and sob. Ugly Betty is a damn good show. TV like that can't be hated.

Yes, it's over the top, totally unreal and... and... and... but I live reality every day. When I watch TV, I want to escape. Ugly Betty allows me to escape but is good television because it still reminds me that these characters are people and what they feel relates to what I feel.

And what I feel right now is super-sad from longing to be back home. With fewer than two weeks to go, I'm done being here. Just get me on the plane. Now.

A Writer's Business Plan

Yesterday (as well as being so productive), I ate lunch with a new Professional Organizer, Andrew Neary of organizingbyANDREW (he has tonnes of energy and will do very well for himself, I'm sure).

We met up because he wanted to pick my brain about the industry. He's just finished a 10 week government-funded program on starting one's own business. Andrew came out of this program with a very detailed business plan. I looked it over and was reminded yet again why I'm not running a service-based business anymore. There's just too much frickin' detail!

Writing, however, is a business and so I decided that I need a business plan. My business plan doesn't take pages and pages of writing. In fact, the whole plan can be reduced to a simple math-like equation:

Business plan = (Write + (Submit + Wait)Repeat until accepted)Repeat until death.

Simple, eh?

Ahhhh, Stability

Yesterday I wrote for the first time in months. I also spent a few hours researching short story markets and even submitted something to a couple of them.

Why did all this happen? Because I've been in one place for a week. I have also been riding my bike everywhere – between one to four hours a day, every day.

I've called myself a Change Junkie in the past but I've been ODing on change while I've been here. A little bit of routine and stability provides some much needed balance.

Vacation Laziness

Yes, Slightly Obnoxious Opinion Week only had six days because yesterday I couldn't be bothered to finish the post.

I've been eating and drinking too much and sleeping too little. In other words, I've been having a great vacation, but it's taking its toll. I'm exhausted, have constant wicked heartburn and am lethargic as anything.

I decided to try to write today but didn't get past four sentences before I stopped and had a nap.

Only 20 more days until I'm back in Spain and 22 until I start my Spanish course, thereby settling into a routine again. I have never so anticipated living in a routine before!

Of course I could have made better choices here in terms of eating, drinking and sleeping - but this way I get to feel like absolute crap before I pull myself out of this unhealthy slide.

It'll just make returning to Spain feel all the better.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 6

I spent last night with my (now) former organizing colleagues. I enjoyed being a business owner and I enjoyed organizing, but I hate running the business on the day to day level.

Statement Six: Learn the difference between working towards happiness and just slogging forward, or you'll just end up unhappier than when you were merely comfortable.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 5

Statement Five: Stop talking about it and start doing it. Yes, I mean you.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 4

This one is in honour of the season premiere of America's Next Top Model.

Statement Four: Sometimes dreams don't work out. Deal with the loss and get a new dream.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 3

Today's statement hearkens back to the book that pushed me into discovering what makes me happy: The Comfort Trap by Judith Sills

Statement Three: Most people would rather be safely comfortable than take a risk on being happy.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 2

Good comments so far, but I want to see more! Maybe I'll have to get more obnoxious.

Statement Two: What most people call "personal memoribilia" in reality is for the most part just useless junk they haven't gotten rid of.

Slightly-Obnoxious Opinion Week Day 1

I'm usually a shades-of-grey type, but I'm feeling opinionated this week. So I'm going to throw out black/white statements. I'm looking forward to seeing what you throw back at me.

Statement One: Anyone who hasn't followed their dream is simply scared to do so and should just get off their butt and do it.