Anyone else decide there are things that aren’t worth doing anymore? I don’t know if it is Covid or what, but I’ve decided to stop doing a few things that don’t “spark joy.” (Working doesn’t really spark joy, but you know…)
- Being someone else’s guidebook. Several people ask me about snow conditions on trails, or where to hike, or for recommendations. Then they go back to their own clique group and don’t invite me along. These are people I have invited along with me, but they always demur for whatever reason. So it’s not like it’s one way. I’m over it; I’ll still give some thoughts to people I like, but I don’t need to spend time describing campsites or where to find a trail for people who just want to use it with their own group. There are plenty of trip reports and books they can use. This might sound harsh, but there are plenty of people who want to hike with me, so I am going to concentrate on them.
- Doing an activity that I feel like I SHOULD do. In the summer, it’s hard to keep up the indoors stuff, like weightlifting and yoga, because I’d rather be outside. And it won’t be warm and sunny for long, so I want to concentrate on things that I can only do for three months of the year. I’ll be back in the gym soon enough as the winter winds blast on the frozen tundra.4
- “Facebook friends” with people who are only there to sell something (including those who relentlessly push their books,or those who post relentlessly about politics. I know, Facebook is kind of silly (but follow my author page!), but it has become a way to see what friends are up to (especially right now). I don’t have the patience for MLMs or people who promote their businesses on their Friends pages.
- Working all the time. We get a generous amount of vacation time, but it goes away if you don’t use it. A lot of people think they can’t be replaced so they end up taking all of December off, which paralyzes projects and is, in general, annoying when you are counting on them for reviews or input. I’ve started taking a random Friday off because summer won’t last forever.
- Writing. Sometimes I think I might never write anything again. In general, the publishing business is pretty soul destroying. I’ve been lucky to have people in my corner, but to be truly successful, you have to hit a market just right or be ruthless in promotion. Yes, I will keep writing, but not because I feel like I “have to.” It might be years before my next effort.
Anything you aren’t doing anymore?