In a minute I’ll write, but first a word from our sponsors.

Okay there aren’t any sponsors; it was a quirky slogan in my head and I wanted to use and now I have.

So there.

Ahem, anyway. Yes; I’m a writer and when I put my mind to it I’m actually a damn good one. But what I make up in passion I lack in discipline. Which is why the WordPress booklet of writing prompts is great for me. To help me shape my thoughts, to help me sharpen my train of conversation and most importantly, to do as Chimamanda Adichie Ngozie advises : write a page a day.

Today’s topic : Shape up or ship out

Write a letter to the personality trait you like least, convincing

it to shape up or ship out. Be as threatening, theatrical,

or thoroughly charming as is necessary to get the job done.

The personality trait I hate the most is procrastination. This trait has taken away years from my life; it has made mincemeat of my dreams, made me miserable, fed my low self-esteem issues and given me a false sense of security – I always felt like I had tomorrow. My anthem was: “I can do it tomorrow, I don’t have to do it today, I did enough today.”

Meanwhile I did exactly fuck-all all day. *eye roll and face palm*

So self, here’s the deal; you’re 35 years old and the way your mindset is, you’re not cut out for working 8-5 after 50. Which means you have less than 20 years to make the type of money that will allow you to do all the retirement traveling you want to do.

Which means, you can’t do this lazy shit anymore. You can’t keep saying that tomorrow you’ll get it done. Cos tomorrow literally never comes.

And stop telling folks of your plans and your timelines; for normal people this means you are shamed into following your deadlines. You’re not a normal person; your excuses have excuses and your threshold for shamelessness is remarkable. So stop sharing your plans and just sit down (or get up) and DO IT.

That’s right; DO IT.

DO IT AFRAID.

DO IT BOLDLY.

DO IT WITH SHAKY KNEES.

DO IT WHEN YOU WANT TO VOMIT

DO IT AGAIN AFTER VOMITTING

Ignore the voices in your head (you can’t shut them up; you tried, you failed) but you can ignore them.

And baby, be patient with yourself. You’re at a very good place now, your faith is growing, your trust in God is blooming and you are sure that the Potter knows what to do with His clay.

So work at it every day, a little bit at a time:

Do the aerobics 30 minutes every day six days a week

Learn a language for 15 minutes a day

Write a page a day – you want to win awards as a writer, you better work it like you mean it!

Don’t look at how everyone is doing well around you, DO YOU

And at the end of every day, write and count your blessings; you day is always full of them. You need to be reminded of the little things that make the big things that give you a sense of accomplishment.

And remember, you’ve come a long way baby and your journey isn’t over yet:

Pray

Plan

Breathe

Then get it done

One step, one day, one deliberate action at a time.