I’m taking part in Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Challenge for 2012, and we’re tackling pigeons of discontent.
So, what is a pigeon of discontent you ask?
This is Gretchen’s definition, paraphrased a little by me: A Pigeon of Discontent is an ordinary problem that has settled into roost. For example: you never make it to the gym; you bicker with your kids each morning; your closet is a mess; you haven’t had time to read a book in months.
She goes on to say that the Happiness Challenge for 2012 is the identification of these Pigeons. Once identified, we then find a way to shoo them away.
I have a couple of very easy, fixable pigeons of discontent, yet it’s almost all the way through January, and they’ve settled in to roost. In my defense, I’m doing Editpalooza with Savvy Authors this month and working hard on polishing/adding 30K words to a historical romance. I’ve also been trying to get away another sub to Ellora’s Cave. Yay! Mission accomplished today. Now all I have to do is wait to hear from my editor.
My pigeons of discontent:
1. Spiders have taken residence in my clothes line and their webs are encroaching on my clean washing, sticking everywhere and making a mess. Yes, this is totally easy to fix, yet I keep thinking oh, yeah. I need to do something about that, and every time I hang out my washing the webs are still there getting in the way! I hung out washing today, and yes, the webs remain.
2. Finger marks all over the kitchen cupboards and fridge. Again, totally easy to fix, but whenever I think about kitchen cleaning I’m in a hurry.
3. I have books I need to read and judge for a competition, yet reading time is in short supply. I also have two books to review and a looming deadline. Due to my writing commitments I haven’t been reading. I like reading, dammit. Got to fit it in somehow.
Action Plan
These are easy pigeons, practically poised for flight if I give them a nudge. This is what I propose to do.
a) Add all three items to my list. This means that they’re constantly brought to mind.
b) This coming weekend – just do it! Both jobs won’t take me long, leaving me time to do the things that really make me happy.
c) Reading – exchange some of the time I waste on the web for reading. Also go to bed a little earlier and read a few chapters before bed. Read 1 – 2 chapters during my lunch break each day.
Do you have a small, ordinary issue that influences or has a negative impact on your happiness? What is your Pigeon of Discontent?
January 25th, 2012 at 3:57 am · Link
I have many pigeons of discontent. I like the idea of making plans for addressing them. One of my biggest is keeping my classroom clean. I will start with that.
January 25th, 2012 at 6:05 pm · Link
Good luck! I tend to let the tidying slip when I’m busy writing. Let me know how you get on :)
January 25th, 2012 at 5:45 am · Link
Mine is that I never seem to ‘remember’ to make doctor appointments for physicals–until something on me breaks.
Spider webs drive me crazy. I always whack them away. I figure the spiders need to do something with their time.
January 25th, 2012 at 6:08 pm · Link
Ugh, I’m not a fan of doctor visits. I put them off until I break as well.
The spiders around my clothes line seem to be particularly active. It drives me crazy!
January 25th, 2012 at 10:51 am · Link
Mine is I always forget to move the bbq away from the bush outside my door and then am surprised each time to open the bbq and wonder how all those leaves and branches got all over it. *Hold on I’m gonna move it right now* There’ now I feel better. :)
January 25th, 2012 at 6:08 pm · Link
LOL – you shoved that pigeon right off it’s perch!
January 25th, 2012 at 11:05 am · Link
I’m sure I’ve got some pigeons of discontent but I need to do some thinking on what they are, or at least, which of them I can attack right away :-)
January 25th, 2012 at 6:10 pm · Link
Maybe you’re a pigeon free zone. :)
January 25th, 2012 at 1:16 pm · Link
My pidgeon is the WIP I need to get finished with in EditPalooza. It’s short and needs work. I hope to catch up on assignments this weekend.
January 25th, 2012 at 6:11 pm · Link
I’m doing Editpalooza too. Still scrambling to add 15k words and do the assignments. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll get there.
January 29th, 2012 at 1:25 pm · Link
Boy, oh boy, do I have a list of pigeons.