Sunday, May 23, 2021

Five Minute Friday: Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!

Every Friday, writer and author Kate Motaung emails a one-word prompt to those who’ve subscribed to receive it. We are to write about that word for five minutes (and only five) and then post our unedited draft on our blog or in the Facebook group. I’ve been receiving the prompts for several months now, but am just now (5-23-2021) committing to writing and posting each Friday.

This is a HUGE step for me. It takes a lot of courage to post an unedited version since I am prone to edit, edit, edit--and then often decide my work still isn't good enough to post. Also, I make excuses for not posting regularly. But I pray that committing to do this small, very doable assignment EVERY Friday, will help me learn to write “on command,” to write freely, and to write (and post!) faithfully. If you’d like to learn alongside me, visit Kate’s site (www.fiveminutefriday.comand sign up! 

(I'm aware that I should have posted this on Friday instead of Sunday. But I'm refusing to let technical issues keep me from fulfilling my commitment, even though I'm embarrassed about being late.)


If I’d written (on a Post-it note) every excuse I’ve ever made, I could have wallpapered houses, even castles, by now. Perhaps I should start doing that right now. Maybe seeing them written all over the place would show me the extent of this terrible habit I have. Since I don’t write them down, I don’t realize how often I make excuses—regarding little things, as well as BIG things. For example, I say I don’t have time to participate in Five Minute Fridays. Really????? I don’t have five minutes? I can’t think of anything to say about the common word that is the prompt for the day? I don’t have time to post it? Really? What kind of excuses (uh, lies) am I using to cover more serious problems, like fear and procrastination?

3 comments:

simplysoulsearching.com said...

Welcome to Five Minute Fridays Johnnie! I love your honesty, and I share your experience about the excuses I have made along the way. Yes, now we could have two houses wallpapered! ;)
Your new friend,
Karen :)

Lee Ann L. said...

I can totally relate. FYI: I write intentionally Monday mornings instead of on Fridays. :-) So, I wouldn't worry about what day it is as long as you did do some writing. :-)

~your FMF neighbor

Johnnie Ann Gaskill said...

Thanks, Karen and Lee Ann, for encouraging me!