How do you waste the most time every day?
I waste time doom scrolling. I open my phone intending to check one thing but end up trapped in endless feeds. It’s not just mindless scrolling. It’s soaking in the chaos and noise of a world that feels too loud. I scroll past headlines, heartbreaks, and chaos, feeling heavy and helpless but unable to stop. The minutes melt away while the weight in my chest grows.
I waste time fearing sending my work in for submissions. I waste time fearing interacting with poets who feel out of my league, poets who are more known or established. I do spend time reading their work. Learning and absorbing is never a waste. However, the fear of reaching out or stepping into that space sometimes freezes me. That hesitation keeps me stuck, holding back the chances I should have taken.
I waste time watching videos. You know tutorials, interviews, and streams. I am always hunting for the secret formula. How to get my work read more, how to grow a following, how to stand out without selling out. Ways to make sure you are inclusive of all needs when creating digital or printable work. I click one video after another, hoping to find a breakthrough or a new tip that will change everything. But each video only makes me feel more behind. I feel more lost in a sea of creators who seem to know the game better.
I waste time looking for ways to get my work seen. Steadily chasing algorithms and hashtags. While jumping between platforms. I draft posts and delete them. I refresh my Etsy shop stats hoping for a spike. I scour forums and groups for advice and opportunities, but never feel like I’m quite doing enough. The effort feels exhausting and endless, but I keep trying, caught between hope and frustration.
I waste time drowning in self-doubt. I wonder if my voice matters, or if anyone will ever truly hear me. Then start to question if I’m good enough, original enough, consistent enough. I convince myself that maybe I should give up, or that maybe I’m fooling myself. The self-doubt is loudest when I’m most vulnerable, whispering that failure is inevitable and success is for others, not me.
This is how I waste most time, not every day but, on bad days.
