We all know the power of suggestion is, well, powerful.
Hear someone mention an itch and you start scratching.
Go on a diet and that junk food you normally ignore won’t leave your mind (oooohhhh, cheezy-whatsits….must have cheezy-whatsits….and dip!).
See them making Crockpot Italian Wedding Soup on a PBS pledge drive and here you are making meatballs for Crockpot Italian Wedding Soup at 8:00 at night, even though you’ve never made wedding soup before and don’t even order it in restaurants.
Give up coffee for Lent and the smell of Fat Tuesday’s grounds in the trash, normally gross, is suddenly irresistible. (Ash Wednesday down, 45 days to go.)
And yawns…contagious.
But why isn’t there a flip side? Why can’t the power of suggestion work for good, too?
As I was spending a couple hours this afternoon getting the new sewing machine up and running…(too bad no film at 11:00 — quite the sight. What the…? Why won’t the spool fit on the doohickey? Why is the doohickey so short? Are they making new spools these days? Should I have gotten different thread? Why is it wobbling like that? And look, it just flew off! What the…? Oh. The doohickey pulls up and gets longer. Now the spool fits. Never mind.)
Anyway, as I was frittering away what should have been a workday (had I had any work), I could have been — should have been — figuring out ways to get more business. I should have been e-mailing some clients to see if anything was in the works. I should have been updating my Web site — maybe actually writing some professional sort of blog. I should have been reading a book about marketing (if I had one) or about writing. Or even cleaning out e-mails and going through files.
That’s what my smart friend was doing. While I was joining Twitter (God knows why — I know only one other person on it), she was using her downtime to teach herself XML and HTML and actually enhancing her already considerable skills.
She was busy being productive, while I was busy being crafty.
But, I have to admit, the power of suggestion (or is it the power of guilt?) is powerful strong. I’m thinking I better get on the stick tomorrow. After all, I have a hefty tax bill to pay, regular quarterly taxes due at the same time,and a new craft habit to feed, not to mention feeding Mike, myself, and the catkids.
So. E-mails, Web site enhancement, professional development, office organization — that’s the plan for tomorrow. Unless, of course, someone out there has a better suggestion.
There is no allurement or enticement, actual or imaginary,
which a well-disciplined mind may not surmount.
The wish to resist more than half accomplishes the object.
~ Charlotte Dacre
Writing by Ear 
XML-babe said,
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:23 am
Thanks, I’ll take all of the support I can get. Power of suggestion indeed. You’ve inspired me to stop flogging myself and set up my sewing machine!
WritingbyEar said,
Wednesday, March 4, 2009 at 11:33 am
Well, all things in moderation, XML-babe. All work and no play makes life pretty darn dull (and me pretty darn crabby). Besides, taking time for non-work related creativity spills over into work, too — it’s a win-win. (And you deserve the break!)