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The Struggle to Access Imaginative Thinking on Cue

It's amazing what an adrenaline rush I got from writing the blog posts and putting it out there for everyone to see.

I put it up on all my socials, completely riding that adrenaline wave where any fear was firmly locked up at the back of my mind.

Of course, that euphoria can't last forever and it's come crashing down...

This week has been truly wonderful. 

We've just come back from visiting good friends' whom we last stayed with in 2019: old photos of which popped up on my phone in the run up to our visit. We've caught up and are left with some wonderful memories.

However, on the thinking front, it's been non-existent. 

Rightly, I've been focused on the moment, enjoying the time with my friend and the kids. There's been no time whatsoever to do anything else. 

Right now, I should be working on my story outline so I'm ready to do the harder work of writing from my Day 1 (September 4th). It's hard accessing that part of my brain on a whim. 

In fact, we take thinking and different types of thinking very much for granted. 

A lot we do on autopilot. We plan, make lists, multitask - like I am now. When we ask ourselves to think in a way we aren't use to, it's like a mental mountain to overcome and it's not as easy as flicking a switch.


During childhood, I was an avid reader. 

Like a lot of people, I had a big life change (going to university) and I stopped reading for pleasure. Other parts of my life took priority and I lost the routine of reading for pleasure. I lost the ability to make time for it. More than a third of adults in the UK don't read for pleasure anymore.

About 3 years ago, I rediscovered my love for reading. 

I started off small and slow by revisiting some YA books I loved and then it blossomed from there. I'm yet again an avid reader. More so than as a child.

I always have a book on the go and I read everyday without fail. I may only read a couple of pages but I read. I read ebooks and physical books. My eBooks are Kobo (mainly), Kindle and from the library (via BorrowBox). I am also a member of a local monthly book club. Goodreads is such a good way for me to track what I've read and what I want to read.

How did I become an avid reader again?

I started small and frequent. I decided to read and I decided I could only keep reading if I read everyday. So I made time. I read any moment I get. I have trained myself to read regardless of the noise and distraction. The kids can be playing, shouting, singing and the TV could be blaring and I'll carry on reading. I read while multitasking. I've been known to read while cooking and the kids are in the bath. I may only read a paragraph or a page at a time but I persevere regardless. That's how I became a reader again.

I think that's how we all need to be in order to take on any new and different way of being and doing. 

Imaginative Thinking 

The type of imaginative thinking required to plan a story is not necessarily new to me, it's just I'm a bit like Goldilocks. Everything has to be just right and aligned for me to be able to think in this way. However, life and particularly my life is not setup that way. If I waited for the ideal time to do anything, there would be exactly nothing to show for it. In the next week or so, I need to be a lot less like Goldilocks and be more like the person I was when I made the decision to start reading again. 

Accept and embrace the imperfect. Chip away at the task, a little a day. Until, it becomes easier to access that part of the thinking brain on demand. Then, hopefully, it becomes a natural part of daily life. 

Routine vs. habit

Habits are formed off cues and routines occur regardless. The timings of when this occurs differs between individuals and what they want to achieve. Enjoyment helps solidify habit and routine formation, so I’m going to try my hardest to enjoy this process and worry much, much less.

Thank you to everyone, who supports me in life and through this blog.

I appreciate time is precious and that taking time out to read my work, is time taken from something else you could've been doing. The likes and shares on socials and the messages of support have really touched me more than I can say. I expected nothing. All of it, is keeping me focused and accountable. I’m not denying this is all a bit scary but the positivity I’ve received is making it all worthwhile.

Sending so much love to anyone and everyone who gets this far. 

Thank you. 

I’ll be back with an update next week…

*Featured image was created using Microsoft CoPilot Designer powered by DALL-E 3
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Location: United Kingdom

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