Arborists say the absolute best time to plant a sapling is ten years ago. The second-best option is to transplant one today. Since I can’t time travel, I need to buy a tree, grab a spade and dig. The tree’s species is less important than taking action. My shovel might be borrowed, but a backhoe isn’t required. Use what you have at your disposal. Digging a pit is not an exact science. What is a perfect hole? Does it matter?

We become embroiled in perfection, caught in the trap of possessing the best tools, the latest gadgets, and glitzy gizmos, thinking they are necessary. I am a perfectionist, an expert at compiling lists of reasons rationalizing my procrastination. Instead, I commit to completing an important task and focus on the steps required to finish.

What will you complete today?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Why do we wait? What makes us hesitate when every fiber of our being, screams for us to seize our dreams? Do we want to grieve time lost and ask ourselves “what if”?  What if we dared, acted courageously, ignored fear and naysayers who undermined our enthusiasm? We can’t afford to accept other’s opinions and discount our belief in ourselves. We have today with no guarantees for tomorrow, next week, or years from now. Why should we compromise, settling for a path which forsakes our true vision?

Change can be difficult and stressful but continuing along a route that does not honor our inherent integrity creates deep-seated anxiety. Change can also be a positive force. Transformation exhilarates us, creating dramatic shifts and relieves stress as we move toward making life reflect our inner truth.

What are you waiting for?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

Doing nothing is an impossible assignment for me. It is a foreign concept. Literally. They call it Niksen, Dutch for the art of doing nothing. It is uncomfortable, feels wasteful and smacks of evil. Yes, evil. Have you not heard “Idle hands are the devil’s playthings”? They attribute the quote to Benjamin Franklin so it must be correct. Yet, when do we do nothing? No checking our phones, texting, or binge-watching the entire season of the latest “must see” tv while we eat dinner. They teach us engaging in busyness is vital, predictive of our success. Inactivity means we are not contributing to society, we are unproductive and lazy.

Is it true? What are we producing when we view a tv program? How productive are we flitting and fluttering from task to text, juggling our overscheduled lives? What if we took a moment to revel in the rising sun’s beauty, while we sip our morning coffee? Would calmness and peace influence our entire day? Would we boost our daily productivity, increase our creativity, make us better problem solvers, and improve our mental health? Perhaps an experiment is needed.

What are your thoughts on doing nothing?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer

This week has been odd with the holiday folded into the middle. It fractured my routine, leaving some required tasks, unfinished. A missed workday doesn’t mean my to-do list is any shorter. We must pick up the slack somewhere. Enter Saturday, the ultimate flex day, the precious catch-up hours designed to prevent this week’s work from derailing the plan.

Scheduling flex time is a long-standing habit I began while I was in school. Crazy, intense, demanding calendars are my life, but I also like to have fun. A lot of fun. And I hate missing spontaneous events because my agenda owns me.  By giving myself a buffer, I gain flexibility and reduce my stress.

Do you use Saturday as your catch-up day?

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Keep on writing.

Jo Hawk The Writer