Well, that was brutally honest in a way I totally didn't expect. I guess I've got used to People With Books to Promote who curate their perfect persona on the platforms. So this openness is refreshing and, frankly, a little concerning. I don't know you, Ms Starr, but wish you all the best with this new foot forward. You said not to be shy, so...
Refreshing because you’re letting the mask slip to reveal a human behind the persona. Two reasons for my concern:
First, your living situation which you describe as “house hell”. I did wonder if you were aiming for humorous hyperbole but I read it again and it looks like that's not the case. So I'm sorry you had to experience that.
The second: you wrote “…Chip Heath destroyed my mental health”. I’ve read many of the Heath Bros books over the years so was dismayed to hear you’re preparing to burn your bridges over that working experience.
In both cases, I was concerned for your mental health and wish you all the best.
Ah - understandable how those comments seem unhinged and worrisome out of context! I appreciate your concern, but fear not: this year is about rebuilding and resilience. I made a point of not writing about things as they happened so I could address them with perspective and humor.
It’s impossible for me to burn a bridge that someone else torched and then blamed on lightning.
As Anne Lamott says, "If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
Oh, can I relate! I am working on a book that keeps morphing, which means previous notes are irrelevant or now in the wrong category… at my BFFs advice I started a whiteboard (which is a piece of poster board from my daughter’s youth, 2004, which has drawings of Elmo all over it!) AND I have ordered myself colored post-it notes so I can get everything all coordinated! Thus deftly avoiding actually WRITING the damn thing!
It’s no so much procrastination as it is avoidance… there IS a difference. Right? 😆🤣
IS it procrastination or avoidance? Is it busy work that's not in service of the goal, or actual organization?
The problem is that our brain is SO good at making up stories when it wants to avoid doing the Uncomfortable Thing: "I NEED to research this new note-taking app!! **This** might be the one thing that makes everything else click into place!"
I was working on making Notion dashboards, Google doc repositories, etc., to 'simplify' my writing process for a year, but really I should have been:
•writing, a lot
•noticing what steps in the process feel extremely redundant or chaotic
•talking to someone else who's been through it (instead of getting lost in YouTube rabbit holes about people's perfect systems, because they're all just selling templates that only work for their specific needs and brains)
•USING COLORED POST-ITS. They are the real deal ❤️
Well, that was brutally honest in a way I totally didn't expect. I guess I've got used to People With Books to Promote who curate their perfect persona on the platforms. So this openness is refreshing and, frankly, a little concerning. I don't know you, Ms Starr, but wish you all the best with this new foot forward. You said not to be shy, so...
Refreshing, thank you! But concerning?! Tell me more?
Refreshing because you’re letting the mask slip to reveal a human behind the persona. Two reasons for my concern:
First, your living situation which you describe as “house hell”. I did wonder if you were aiming for humorous hyperbole but I read it again and it looks like that's not the case. So I'm sorry you had to experience that.
The second: you wrote “…Chip Heath destroyed my mental health”. I’ve read many of the Heath Bros books over the years so was dismayed to hear you’re preparing to burn your bridges over that working experience.
In both cases, I was concerned for your mental health and wish you all the best.
Ah - understandable how those comments seem unhinged and worrisome out of context! I appreciate your concern, but fear not: this year is about rebuilding and resilience. I made a point of not writing about things as they happened so I could address them with perspective and humor.
It’s impossible for me to burn a bridge that someone else torched and then blamed on lightning.
As Anne Lamott says, "If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
That's a relief then! Love your line about burning bridges. And Lamott's about other people.
Good luck with the rebuilding.
Loved this! Literally everything about it. I'm reading Oliver Burkeman's Meditation for Mortals right now and this is a timely tie-in.
I love Oliver! He’s a kindred spirit and was kind enough to write me a lovely blurb for my first book 🥰
Oh, can I relate! I am working on a book that keeps morphing, which means previous notes are irrelevant or now in the wrong category… at my BFFs advice I started a whiteboard (which is a piece of poster board from my daughter’s youth, 2004, which has drawings of Elmo all over it!) AND I have ordered myself colored post-it notes so I can get everything all coordinated! Thus deftly avoiding actually WRITING the damn thing!
It’s no so much procrastination as it is avoidance… there IS a difference. Right? 😆🤣
IS it procrastination or avoidance? Is it busy work that's not in service of the goal, or actual organization?
The problem is that our brain is SO good at making up stories when it wants to avoid doing the Uncomfortable Thing: "I NEED to research this new note-taking app!! **This** might be the one thing that makes everything else click into place!"
I was working on making Notion dashboards, Google doc repositories, etc., to 'simplify' my writing process for a year, but really I should have been:
•writing, a lot
•noticing what steps in the process feel extremely redundant or chaotic
•talking to someone else who's been through it (instead of getting lost in YouTube rabbit holes about people's perfect systems, because they're all just selling templates that only work for their specific needs and brains)
•USING COLORED POST-ITS. They are the real deal ❤️