Essential time wasting ideas

Anyone who has ever written anything knows that 20% of the time is spent writing, 50% of the time is spent coming up with something important enough to say and and the last 30% of the time is spent on other stuff. 

This other stuff  isn't wasted energy.  In fact, I consider it down time for my conscious mind while my subconscious mind is quietly working to come up with something brilliant when I start typing again.  It's not a perfect system; there is no way to know that my subconscious is in fact working and quite frankly, I'm a little suspicious that it takes a lot of time off too.  But that's the way I work. 

So here is the other stuff that I do when I'm not at my desk staring at the computer screen until my eyeballs bleed:

• Check email to see if I have new spam from TripAdvisor

• Bite fingernails

• Check out http://www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com/

• Watch Charlie Bit My Finger on YouTube. Again

• See what other photos have posted to the National Geographic Photo competition.  World in Focus

• Cat naps

• Hug geriatric Pekingese

• Try to win a chance to see Nancy Grace Win a chance to see Nancy Grace!

• Worry about work

• Develop another get-rich-quick-scheme

• Buy a new iPhone ap

• Plan next vacation

• Try to get Saturday Night Live Tickets for the 2010-2011 season  www.nbc.com/tickets/

• Think about lunch and when lunch is over, think about dinner

• Check out the latest disaster on CNN.com

• Struggle with buying the iPhone 4. Should I or shouldn’t I?

• Think of new topics for my blogs

• Go to Starbucks and people watch

• Watch the cat next door

• Listen to the loud music blaring from my neighbor's apartment and wish that they would die in a fiery hell

• Drink tea

• Add to my Netflix queue

• Learn phrases in Khmer (language of Cambodia)

• Learn phrases in Korean

• Read Entertainment Weekly (usually in the bathroom)

• Stretch. Try to touch my toes

• Bid for useless item on eBay

• See what is in the fridge

• TV

• See who is in rehab on TMZ.com

• Call mom and dad

• Scribble down random thoughts that might be useful later

• Google my name. See what other Phil Caldwells are doing

• Come up with reasons why I should cancel my Facebook account

• and Dream as if it is all going to happen someday

Now you know why I never get any writing done!!