Life, Veronica's Musings

Is Boredom a Real Thing?

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I was browsing Pinterest late one evening, looking for some ideas for an infographic I wanted to design, and I saw something strange come across my screen. Things to Do When You Are Bored.

Bored? Really?  I don’t think I’ve been bored since some time in the 1980s.  In fact, as each year goes by, there are more and more things I want to do, more to accomplish.  I can’t imagine ever waking up some morning and saying to myself, “Well, that’s it. I’m done. Nothing else to do. Gee, I’m bored.”

To prove that I’m not bored, I have 50 Pinterest Boards filled with things I want to see or do (I know, that’s probably a bit much), two blogs, several social media accounts, five current writing projects for work, three personal writing projects, at least 15 Kindle books I’m reading in various stages of completion, a family, laundry, a messy house, a cat, and a dog. And that’s just for starters.

Is boredom a real thing?

Aside from the fact that I can’t imagine being bored, there were a couple of other things that were strange about the boredom infographic.  First, most of the things noted on the graphic are things on my To Do list, including:

  • Watch some TED talks
  • Practice a musical instrument (my violin has been lonely for too long)
  • Workout
  • Call old friends (and some new ones)
  • Try creative writing (the second novel in the Love in the Ballpark series needs attention)

The other thing that was strange about the items on the list was that the last item was “Take a nap.”  That sounds a lot like, “Just surrender to the boredom.”

Don’t get me wrong. I think doing nothing is incredibly valuable sometimes. We all need rest. In fact, I often find that when I’m stuck in a creative funk (a.k.a. writer’s block) doing nothing is the best prescription. For me, doing nothing usually means meditating. It’s like a mental, emotional, and spiritual re-boot.

Wait. Meditating is actually doing something.

In fact, meditation is in the top five of things I do, in terms of priority and value.

As long as my mind is active or resting in meditation, I’m never bored.

And I’m truly blessed because my life is full.

What about you? When was the last time you were bored? And is boredom really a thing?

If you’re bored (or even if you aren’t), take a look at some of my previous posts:

My Search for the Perfect Planner 

The Blank Page 

New Beginnings  

Life, Veronica's Musings

My Search for the Perfect Planner

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Here are just a few pieces in my planner collection.

I collect planners. In fact, over the years I have been on a quest to find the perfect planner. I have learned, though, that I’m really not looking for the perfect planner. I’m really searching for hope.

Here’s what I mean…

Procrastination and multitasking are my superpowers. Well, they used to be. Combined with my memory superpower, they kept me strangely productive, sharp, and focused. I used to thrive on deadlines and get more focused the closer I got to one (that explains how the procrastination habit developed). The multitasking kept me interested. And the memory made it all possible.

Then it all changed. My memory started to fail me, and the foolproof system of the past 25+ years failed along with it.

It occurred to me that if I could just find the perfect planner to take over some of the memory role I could recapture the glory days and my other superpowers would kick in and all would be well.

The search was on! I’ve tried phone apps, online systems, printable planners, and the good ol’ fashioned bound planners (in a variety of binding types). Each and every one brought me new hope that it would make me instantly more productive. And why wouldn’t it? That’s what the marketing said. In fact, the sales pitch for each one promised that it would be the last planner I would ever need. It would be the perfect planner.

The Honeymoon Period

The first few days with a new planner always start out well. I ride high on the wave of hope it brings. I plan for the week, then each day. I dutifully undertake the tasks I assign myself and check them off victoriously upon completion. The planner and I are working together in a glorious groove of gettin’ it done.

Reality Sets In

I use this planner as a coaster.

Then the day comes that I forget to plan the day using it, and I remember in the evening. So I plan the next day right then. There’s still hope. I tell myself that this was just a little road bump.

Then I skip a couple of days because things got busy. Sometimes I even set an alarm on my phone to remind me to use the planner. I get back on track only to find myself in the next week with a week of blank pages behind me. What happened?

I instantly know what the problem is.

It’s the planner. Or it’s the system that the planner is intended to promote.

The solution? Find a new planner.

And the search begins again.

Deep down I know the reality. There aren’t enough planners on this earth to keep me organized and focused if I don’t adjust an entire constellation of productivity promoting habits. Once again I am forced to face the ugly truth that there are no quick fixes.

I know what to do. I set myself along that path and real progress is made.

New Hope

Then a shiny new planner appears in my Facebook feed. The sales pitch says it’s the last planner I’ll ever need! It says it’s not just a planner but an entire productivity system! It says it will solve all my problems!

Just $19.99 plus shipping for another big bite of hope.

I’ll let you know if this one works.

More posts about my writing journey:

The Blank Page

New Beginnings

Life, writing

The Blank Page

A blank page is both exciting and scary. It’s exciting because it represents opportunity, a fresh start. Anything is possible on that page. It could be the start of the best thing you have ever written.

Or it can be scary. If no ideas flow freely, it makes you wonder if creativity will every appear. If you stare at it long enough, it seems to be taunting you, inspiring self-doubt rather than opportunity, and soon you’re paralyzed.

While I tend to overuse metaphors, the blank page really is like a new day. Every morning is a new opportunity, a fresh start. Anything is possible. It could be the start of the best day of your life.

Or not.

Much like a blank page, how you look at it is connected to how it turns out. Are you prepared? Have you thought through your plans for the day? Are you open to new experiences? Are you open to creativity? Do you have an attitude of service, and are you determined to live (or write something) to benefit others? If you are a person of faith, have you invited God into your day (into your writing)?

Once you can answer ‘yes’ to these questions, the new day is not so scary, and neither is a blank page. It becomes a new opportunity, and your actions will be more focused.

How prepared are you for your new day?

In a future post, I’ll share some of my practical ideas for getting started with your writing on that real blank page.

Veronica's Musings, writing

New Beginnings

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Whenever we come to a fork in the road that requires us to make a either make a change indirection or keep going along the same path, we make a choice and keep walking. We can look at it as the end to part of the journey, an opportunity lost, the beginning of a new journey, or a continuation of the original walk whether the path has changed or stayed the same.

I’ve experienced a big change in my work life recently. It’s not good or bad; it just is. But I can choose to look at it as a positive change, so I am choosing to see it as a new beginning. It’s a chance for rejuvenation and renewal, and those are good things, right?

So what does it mean for my writing, for this site, for my approach to my work? The first thing is that I’ll be posting here regularly again. As you may have noticed, I deleted all the old posts from long ago because this is a fresh start. I’m not the same person I was in 2016 (yes, that’s the last time I posted. Crazy, huh?), so I want this space to reflect who I am today.

I’ll also be taking on new clients again (grant writing and other types of writing gigs), and I hope to get back to some of my more creative pursuits. I have a novel that is half way finished, and several other book projects that have been languishing for years while I was focused on other things.

A Writer's Journey