Shiny Pennies—Or, What Your Distraction Really Means
I have a theory about distraction: Much like fear or self-doubt, it arrives when we're on to something. When we’re moving in the right direction. Just when we should be going deeper, new ideas emerge—those gleaming shiny pennies—and draw our eye outward. Their shimmer might bring a new idea or insight, a thrilling wave of creativity, a spark that lasts for days or weeks before realizing you haven’t picked up your work-in-progress.
This has happened to me repeatedly in the course of a year, and I’m convinced it’s because I’m doing the exact right thing I should be doing.
When writing gets tough, as it inevitably does, we look around for an out, something to keep us from going deeper, asking new questions, or seeing fresh angles. Sometimes it’s a social media scroll, or deep cleaning the house, or tackling a Marie Kondo intervention in your closet. When this happens, here’s what I do.
Take notes. I always have Google docs ready to get my ideas down. If the idea is more fully formed (like a future workshop), I’ll even spend some time formally outlining it and writing down as much as I can. This might take 30 minutes or an hour. I also have notes on my phone for on-the-go additions as well.
Honor the ideas. I like to remind these shiny pennies—which may in fact be excellent ideas—that I hear them, see them, and will save them for later. I’m not big on ignoring them (see above) because just because the timing isn’t right, doesn’t mean they’re not useful.
Trust the process. My process usually involves thinking about ideas for a loooong time before taking action. That’s something I’ve learned about myself over the years, so when I do get a new idea, I know it’s usually not time to act yet. That’s why I take notes, acknowledge the ideas, and then…
Reframe the timing. I always like to remind myself there’s nothing I actually have to do right this minute. It’s easy to spiral with a sense of creative urgency, but this reframing always helps ground me in the present and the work required in the short-term, not the creative ideas that’s simmering on the back burner.
