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Sunday, March 15, 2009

Doing Your Thing...

To clarify...

I realize my mention of volunteer activities on my post yesterday sounded kind of snarky. Thought I'd clarify that point a little, if you don't mind...

Volunteering is fantastic. I love volunteering and community outreach. There are tons of organizations that could use your help - from the school, to food banks and everything else. Worthy organizations with a real need for happy volunteers.

And that's the thing - "happy volunteers".

If scraping stickers off the lunchroom floor makes you happy - then, by all means, do it. If you want to help and that's the only thing you're able to manage - then do it. If cutting apart labels for the school fundraiser makes you happy, then do it.

But don't do it if it doesn't make you happy. (though sometimes even the stuff you do happily can make you tired and worn) Yeah, sometimes we gotta. I understand that. I live in the same world.

If you're giving up your writing time, perhaps it's time to start saying "NO". It's hard. I know that. But you'll thank yourself later. Volunteering is your choice, your decision, your time. Don't do it if it's going to seriously hamper your writing time on a consistent basis.

If you're saying "yes" as a way to get out of writing, then you need to have a serious talk with yourself. It's hard to say no. But you can do it, especially if it falls within your writing time. You don't have to give a reason. It's no one's business why you can't help. Practice saying no in the mirror. Always be ready to say no and stick by your answer. Decide when you can help out and don't waver.

Still snarky?
Behave!

4 comments:

AuthorM said...

I say no to so many things, I'm pretty good at it!

But the message is important.

Protect your writing time!

Victoria said...

That was my point! Only it came out all snarky and stuff!
I'm pretty good at saying no, too. It took me a while to be able to say no without feeling guilty though.
:)

Natalie J. Damschroder said...

I didn't tell you guys what saying no and feeling guilty got me...

Victoria said...

No, you didn't! Can't wait to hear that one!