Day 27: How to cope with things you’re dreading to do

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 27: Dread – How to cope with things you’re dreading to do

We all have things we don’t want to do or put off for as long as possible. For some people it’s house chores, for others it’s a task around the office, for others still it’s simply getting out of bed every morning. How to cope with things you’re dreading to do often have a simple solution.

Waking up

Few things are worse than waking up early in the morning to an annoying bell of an alarm clock. For a more pleasant awakening experience, select a musical tune on your iPhone. Waking up to music is far more preferable than hearing beep beep beep.

Personally, I hate waking up at 6:00 a.m. in the morning and I think I inherited this from my father. One morning he got so annoyed by his alarm clock, he pitched the bloody thing out the window.

Doing dishes

Ask 9 out of 10 people what their most hated chore around the house is and they might say doing dishes. Why do you think automatic dishwashers became so popular ...

If you have no choice but doing the dishes by hand, make things a little easier on yourself by doing part of the dishes before sitting down to lunch or dinner. 

After dishing up, you can wash the pots, that way after dinner all that’s left to do are the plates and cutlery. 

Or better yet, have your partner or children do the dishes. Hey, you cooked the meal, it’s only fair that someone else takes care of the clean-up.

Ironing

Another much-hated chore is ironing. The iron may have become more sophisticated over the years and lighter to handle, but it’s still a boring activity that takes its toll on one’s lower back and leg muscles. 

In all my life, I’ve ever come across one woman who stated that she loved ironing. She loved it so much, she ironed everything, from her husband’s underwear to his jeans. 

If you’re like the rest of the population and think ironing is boring, watch something on TV while you’re behind the ironing board or listen to an audiobook. You’ll be surprised how much more enjoyable ironing is while your favorite author is whispering sweet nothings in your ear.

Around the office

Personally, I love filing, but a surprising number of people hate it. I used to too until I decided to change my routine. Shortly after I started with the company, my filing basket was groaning under a number of papers and it took me hours to create order out of chaos. 

When I was finished I vowed never again to let this happen. From that day forward I did my filing daily. Usually, it took me less than 10 minutes to have everything in its proper place.

Going to the gym

Many people know that they should go to the gym to lose weight or simply stay in shape, but they keep putting it off. They’re too tired, they have too much to do, they don’t have the right clothes, they hate going alone ... you name it and they’ll use it as an excuse.

Fact is, once you’ve been to a gym, you’ll want to go again and again. If you don’t like going alone, ask a family member, a friend, a colleague or even a neighbor to come along. They might feel the way you do and might just be waiting for an invitation.

If you don’t have anyone to accompany you, go anyway, chances are before long you’ll hook up with someone who is alone too.

Going on a diet

Most people have gone on a diet at one time or another in their life and failed spectacularly. In most cases, that’s because people tend to be way too hard on themselves. They make their diet so strict that within a matter of days their good intentions go out the window. Or they don’t see results quick enough and hurt their toes by kicking the scale in a dark corner.

The right way to go about a diet is to make an appointment with a dietician. These people are trained professionals who can advise you on losing weight the healthy way. They can also recommend the right book for your weight loss program.

For everything you dread to do there’s a solution. If you can’t think of anything practical, give yourself a reward once you’ve dealt with something.

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Day 26: Writing - Easy ways to make time to write

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 26: Writing – Give advice to writers

Easy ways to make time to write

Writers are notorious procrastinators.  Those with a full-time job might argue that they don’t have much time to write, while those who stay at home might find that there are too many distractions. Productive writers have one thing in common, they make time to write.

One of the first things to do is to know what keeps you from writing.  It could be that you would like to spend more time writing but that you, in the name of research, get easily distracted by everything that’s available on the Net.  Maybe you prefer reading over writing.  It could be that you watch too much television or that you are a notorious napper.

If you get easily distracted, you need to set goals for yourself. If you can write one or two articles per day, great, that’s thirty-one or sixty-two articles per month and that’s nothing to sneeze at. By setting goals for yourself that you can actually achieve, you encourage yourself to do more, rather than facing disappointment by setting your goals too high.

Keep a notebook and pen handy.  Inspiration can come anytime, any place, but unless you can jot something down, an idea, phrase or impression might quickly disappear. Preference should be given to a book over scraps of paper as those might easily get lost.

A fast and easy way to help you in your writing is a Dictaphone. This tiny tape recorder can be used in the car, in a coffee shop, in the park, or any other place where you might find inspiration.  While dictating you don’t have to worry about typos or correct grammar, you can just talk and type up your ideas later.  Someone else can even do the typing for you. Your spouse or children might welcome such a project to practice their typing speed and accuracy.

You will know best whether you are a morning or an evening person. If you are at your most productive in the wee hours of the morning, try to get up an hour early to write.  If you’re more of a night owl, wait until everyone has gone to bed and the house is quiet to devote some time to write. If you have a full-time job, use your lunchtime to write. 

You can use your laptop and run off battery power; your iPad loaded with a writing programme such as ‘Pages’ or use pen and paper. Writing longhand may actually be beneficial to your writing.  Many writers claim that typing influences their creativity and they write better using a pen. 

Leo Tolstoy used to write sitting in the market square. If it worked for him it might work for you.

Feel free to comment. I'd love to hear from you.

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Day 25: Fears - What are you afraid of?

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 25: Fears

Everyone is afraid of something. Fear of heights, fear of enclosed spaces, death, illness, public speaking, water, fire, the list goes on and on.

Ask 99% of women what they are afraid of and among other things they might mention spiders. I happen to be one of them.

I’ve read up on the subject and some say that the fear of spiders is hereditary. Which is interesting really. So does that mean that our parents are responsible for our fears? If they had given us a spider as a pet, instead of a kitten, a puppy or a bunny, would we have grown to love spiders?

Personally, I can’t imagine such thing. Can you? Can you imagine sitting with a spider on your lap and cuddling it? Curling up with it in bed? Proudly sharing pictures of it on Facebook ... I didn’t think so.

I often wondered why spiders were created in the first place. Some might say that they play a valuable role in nature and I understand that, they probably do some good. What I don’t understand is why they have to be so ugly.

When spiders were created, why couldn’t they be made to look like hamsters, koala bears, pandas or even squirrels. I can’t think of a single person who is afraid of these creatures. For one reason or another they might not be fond of them because they are dangerous or carry diseases, but nobody goes running, screaming, when they see one.

And believe me, I’ve done my fair share of screaming. As afraid as I am of spiders, they seem to be very fond of me. My mom, dad, or brother never came across a spider, but if there was one in the house, I would be the one to find it.

When I was growing up, I regularly saw them. I saw them in the basement, in the hallway, in the bathroom, or their personal favorite, in my bedroom.

Every night when I went to bed, I switched on the light of my bedroom and did a thorough inspection of the ceiling, walls and floor. If my folks heard a scream, mam would instruct dad to go upstairs, armed with a shoe.

The worst case ever was when I literally came face to face with a huge spider who was sitting next to the light switch on the wall. She had one of her eight legs on the light switch and another on the doorframe. As I flipped on the light my nose was literally less than an inch away from the monster and in addition to an ear- piercing scream, I stopped breathing. 

As I was told later, by the time my dad and brother came upstairs and found me on the landing, I was turning blue. My brother had to slap me out of it.

Since that time, I’ve encountered a number of family members of the spider, from babies to grandfathers, and they all give me the creeps.

Two years ago, I thought there was hope for me yet when I met Karen. She told me that she too had suffered from a severe case of arachnophobia until she decided to do something about it.

“And what did you do?” I asked her.

“Hypnosis or something?”

“I adopted a spider,” Karen said. “I bought a tarantula, I placed it in a glass case in the living room, and I observed it every day.”

Was the woman out of her mind! She was afraid of spiders and she invited a spider to live with her! A tarantula no less! Never, not even in my wildest dreams would I even consider living with a spider under one roof. No, no way, absolutely not!!!

Karen invited me for a visit, so I could observe the spider, how it ate, drank, washed itself and slept. I politely declined. Not a hair on my head even considered this.

When she offered to bring the spider to work, so we could all have a look, Brian strongly advised her not to do this.

“Why not?” Karen asked.

“Because I say so,” Brian told her. “If you do, I go straight to personnel and file a complaint against you. I’m not kidding. Don’t you dare bring that thing in here.”

Hmm, it would appear women are not the only ones who are squeamish about spides, some men are too.

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Day 24: The 8 best beauty investments of all time

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 24: Give advice

The 8 best beauty investments of all time

Even though everybody agrees that real beauty comes from the inside, looking good on the outside is important too.  If it wasn’t, the cosmetics companies wouldn’t be a multi-million dollar industry.  Some visit a spa every so often, others make regular visits to the beauty salon, while others still try every miracle product that comes on the market.  Just what are the 10 best beauty investments of all time?

1. Moisturizer

If you want to keep your skin soft and supple and keep wrinkles at bay, a moisturizer suitable for your skin type is imperative.  A moisturizer will feed your skin the nutrients it needs and slow down the aging process.

2. Sunscreen

Nothing ages you faster than the sun, so you should make sure to wear this all year long.  Look for one that provides broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays.

3. Dermatological check-Up

Any untreated condition is only going to get worse, especially acne, varicose veins, or in the worst case scenario, early signs of skin cancer. Invest in regular checkups to stay ahead of any potential problems.

4. Good haircut

A good haircut makes hair easier to maintain and won't require as many damaging styling products to make it look good.

5. Hand lotion and cuticle cream

You don't need a specially formulated cream for your hands - any rich body lotion will work -- but you do need to make sure to moisturize your hands and cuticles often. Your hands give away even more about your age than your face.

6. Fresh fruit & vegetables

No matter how many vitamins and supplements you may take, nothing can replace the nutrients you can get from food. Try organic produce to ensure you're not eating additives you're not expecting. Plus, seasonal produce will not only taste better but will ensure you're eating food at its height of freshness and nutritional value.

7. Gym membership, bicycle, or fitness equipment

Exercise not only keeps you fit and healthy but relieves stress, the effects of which can take a huge toll on your skin and cause premature aging.  The Mayo Clinic recommends 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity a few times a week.

8. Comfortable mattress and pillow

The old adage about getting your beauty sleep is true; you should strive to get at least 7 hours each night. Since many of us have crazy schedules that make it hard to get your hours in, wasting an hour tossing and turning on an uncomfortable bed will only set you back.

Invest in yourself. It won’t be long before you’ll experience the benefits.

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Day 23: Ultimate guide to women's sweaters

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 23: Ultimate guide to women's sweaters

For today's prompt writers were given freedom of choice. They could write about anything they wanted. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to write about sweaters in preparation for fall and winter.

Shopping for sweaters is relatively easy.  You want something to keep you warm and you want something in a nice color.  But what will the sweater be used for?  There is a big difference between a sweater to go skiing with and a sweater to wear around the office.  While a sports sweater has to be super warm, a sweater to wear indoors doesn’t need to be all that heavy.

Size

Many women avoid pulling on a sweater because the store is hot and the dressing room is even hotter, but sweaters need to be tried on.  A sweater might look good on the rack, but will it fit you?  It may be too tight or hang on you like a potato bag.  It may be too long or too short or there might be something wrong with the arms.  To be absolutely sure that the sweater is comfortable you need to try it on.

Color

Black and navy blue may be slimming colors that hide dirt and stains, but chances are you will grow bored with them.  Be prepared to have some color variety in your sweaters.  If you like blue, try different shades of blue; if don’t like white, settle for cream; if you already have several plain sweaters, try something with a motive.  Have a look at the colors of your skirts and pants and buy sweaters that will complement those colors. 

Style

When shopping for a sports sweater it might be a good idea to go for something with a high collar, something to keep your neck and ears warm.  On the other hand, when choosing a sweater to wear at home or around the office, a light sweater with a round neck or a V-neck might be better.  A round neck or a V-neck sweater gives you the option of wearing a variety of blouses or shirts underneath.  As an added bonus, should the office get too warm, you can take the sweater off.

Washability

Pure wool and cashmere sweaters are beautiful and soft, but expensive. Generally, they need to be hand washed or dry-cleaned.  When selecting a sweater, look at the label and see if it is machine washable.  Sweaters should generally be washed in cold water or on the delicate cycle.

You also might want to look if the sweater can be tumble dried.  Some sweaters need to be dried laying on a flat surface, which depending on the material can take up to 24 or even 48 hours. 

Material

When looking at a sweater’s label, look for words such as washable, breathable, anti-wrinkle, anti-pilling, anti-shrink, anti-static, quick dry and eco-friendly. 

There you have it. Now when you go looking for sweaters you’ll know what to look for and what to avoid.

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Day 22: Wedding superstitions

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 22: Wedding superstitions

Her wedding day is one of the most important days in a woman’s life.  Because of the importance of the day, a number of superstitions and old wive's tales are connected with the event which can spin already nervous brides into a frenzy.  Whether or not these superstitions are true is beside the point, most brides will rather not test their luck.

The Outfit

It is said that the bride should not tailor her own dress and not even help with the stitching because for every stitch of the needle she will cry a tear in her marriage.

The outfit should not be tried on before the wedding other than for fittings.  Should the bride show off her outfit chances are she will not get married.

Neither should the groom see the bride in her wedding fineries before the big day.  Of all superstitions, this is possibly the strongest one and followed by brides the world over.

Pearls

Pearls represent tears.  The bad luck superstition around the bride wearing pearls states that the pearls represent the tears she will shed during her married life.  The good luck superstition of the wearing of pearls states that the pearls take away the tears that the bride would have shed. 

Rain

Rain on the wedding day can also be taken as a good or a bad sign.  One superstition states that rain on a wedding day predicts tears in the marriage; another superstition associates a rainy wedding day with the gift of children to the couple.

The Church

Seeing a nun or a monk outside the church can be one of two things.  Either the marriage will not be blessed with children, or the couple will fall into poverty.

Seeing a black cat on the way to the church is a sign of good luck.

For good luck in a marriage, rather marry on a weekday than a Saturday.  While no bad luck is associated with a weekend wedding, no good luck is associated with it either, so, no luck at all.  According to superstition, Wednesday is the best day to marry.

Signing your Married Name

This is considered another way of tempting faith.  If you dare to sign a document with your married name, chances are the wedding will not take place or the marriage is doomed.

Dropping of the Ring

It is said that if the best man or the groom drops the ring the marriage won’t last.

The Wedding Night

Finally, there is the wedding night with the threat that who falls asleep first will be the first to die.

If all these superstitions were to be believed, it’s no wonder brides are jittery.  To play it safe, just stick to the wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue and don’t let the rest worry you.

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Day 21: Reading - What's the last book you read?

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 21: Reading – What’s the last book you read?

There was a time that I happily spend my lunchtime in a bookstore, walking between the racks, sampling several books. 

When I received a Kindle for Christmas, I switched to electronic reading. Reluctantly at first, because I prefer a real book over an ebook, but gradually real books disappeared and I used my Kindle full-time.

While I enjoy holding a book and turning pages, the kind of books I prefer (over 500 pages) are rather heavy to carry and expensive. In comparison, a Kindle weighs hardly anything and the ebooks are cheaper than real books.

With ebooks I did have a problem though ... what would I read next? If I knew what I wanted to read the solution was simple ... I would go on Amazon and read the synopsis of the book along with the first few pages. But if I didn’t have a clue what to read next, what did I do then?

A friend recommended that I subscribe to book recommendations. In the beginning, I poured over this email list every day, but day after day I didn’t see anything of interest. Soon I stopped looking and just deleted the email. 

For some reason, I opened the email last Wednesday and on top of the list I found ‘The Alchemist’.

I remembered all the hype that was made around this book, so I headed over to Amazon. The reviews were contradicting, some readers gave the book a raving 5-star review, other gave it 1 star and called it rambling and drawn out rubbish.

What I liked about the author Paulo Coelho is that he dared to admit in his forward that when ‘The Alchemist’ was first published in Brazil it was a flop. Only a handful of copies were sold and his publisher canceled his contract.

What happened next was sheer coincidence. An American bought the book in Brazil and took it to an American publisher who accepted it. But what if the American buying the book in Brazil wasn’t a coincidence but a rather carefully orchestrated set-up?

Every author, literally agent and publisher knows that to get readers to buy a book one must create a buzz. What if Paulo Coelho did just that?

Being a man of considerable means (even back then), what if he arranged with his publisher that he would invest several million in a publicity campaign? He certainly had the money and the political and showbiz connections to do so.

After that, the tale of ‘The Emperor’s New Clothes’ comes to mind. The critics raved about the book, reader’s curiosity was tickled and they bought the book. If the critics gave it a thumbs up then it must be good, right? 

What if but a small minority actually dared to voice that the book was in actual fact rubbish, but nobody believed it because everyone else loved it?

I fell for it too. My curiosity got the better of me and I bought the book. In my opinion, it was not the best book I’ve ever read but I finished it and found it inspirational with a surprise ending.

I would give 'The Alchemist' a 3-star rating.

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Day 20: Missed Connections – Looking for love in all the wrong places

Day 20: Missed Connections – Looking for love in all the wrong places

My Project: 365 Creative Writing Prompts

Day 20: Missed Connections – Go to Craigslist and click on the ‘Missed Connections’ section

There are an awful lot of lonely people out there and they go looking for love in all the wrong places. One of them, Craigslist.

Not only are there sections for men seeking women, women seeking men, men seeking men, and women seeking women, there is also a category called missed connections for people who met but failed to connect.

It’s mainly men who post there and just about all of them start their message with ‘I know this is a long shot but ...’ Then they go on describing a chance encounter that happened today, a week ago, or in the past. I wonder if any of them ever had any success finding the girl they were looking for.

Of course, not everyone is looking for love, some of them are downright creepy. Take this guy for instance ...

Hi Sweetie,

I do see you every morning waking up and getting ready for work. I love to see you naked before and after a shower. I know you have a boyfriend as I catch you sometimes having sex. I would love to see that blonde body someday. Your pink underwear and the way you look at yourself in the mirror or fixing your bed.

A word of advice to this girl ... close your curtains.

And how about this one ...

Long shot ...

The bus was crowded you were right behind me and your bulge rubbed against my ass a few times. It was so hot. Had a boner the entire morning. Saw you on the subway too. You were wearing light color pants I think linen. 

Yeah, there's a guy you want to meet. (Sarcastic)

I’m so glad I’m no longer on the dating scene. I’m happily divorced and it’s going to stay that way. I wouldn’t hook up with another guy if a knife was held to my throat.

When I mention my dating experiences, I’m invariably sniggered at with the comment ‘In your days, things were different.’ Yes, they were, and in my opinion, they were a lot better.

There were no dating sites, no emails, no chat messages, and no cellphones for that matter. On Saturday and Sunday night we dressed up and went to a disco or a bar. When we saw a guy, we liked, we made it clear with eye contact and if he was interested he would come over. We talked, we danced and we made plans to see each other again.

If things worked out it was the beginning of a short or long-term relationship. If it didn’t, we either stayed friends or never wanted to see each other again.

Yet with all the dating sites and modern technology, people find it harder now than then to connect with someone. 

Almost every week there’s an article in some magazine how to find men, how to find women, how to attract the perfect partner, etc.

I talked to a guy the other day and he too complained that he couldn't find a girlfriend. I wondered how such a thing is possible, women are everywhere. They are at coffee shops and restaurants, gyms, bookstores, there are even women who hang out at DIY stores with the sole purpose of meeting a man. So how could he not find anyone?

Shyness he said. He’s been shot down a few times and now his confidence is damaged. For goodness sake, are women that threatening? If a guy approaches a woman and she’s not interested, she’ll simply say so. She’s not going to bite and devour a man on the spot.

As someone who has been there and done that, I’d say, take a chance and talk to a woman. She might just say yes.

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