So, in yesterday's blog post, I asked you all for cookies. Honestly, I didn't expect any. But then my mom commented, and she issued the challenge. Write 1k of Kaz or cut 2k of Sarawen, and I would get cookies.
Guess what?
I did it.
So now Mom owes me cookies. She might have time to make them today, or she might not. I don't really care. The point is, I cut 2k words. I did it because I had the challenge.
Not that I actually need them. The secret is in the competition. She said she'd give me cookies if I cut 2k words. If she hadn't, would I have done it? Probably not. I would have done something, but it would have been less important to me.
So here's my theory: Cookies=competition. No, seriously. Think about it.
Cookies: Taste good.
Competition: Feels good.
Cookies: Make you do drastic things.
Competition: Makes you do drastic things.
Cookies: Are better with eggs.
Competition: Have you ever tried competing with eggs? It's exciting!
Cookies: Can wreck your health.
Competition: Can wreck your life.
Conclusion: Cookies are good. So is competition. Sometimes. But! We need to be cautious about them. I'm a cookie-lover. I'm also very competitive. I think both of these things add color to my life. But I need to be cautious about them. If I get too wrapped up in competition, if beating others becomes the focus of my life, everything important suffers. I lose friends. I lose the joy that comes from setting a goal and meeting it, from striving to better myself. It ruins my life. And I'm not even going to get into what happens when I eat too many cookies.
Does this mean I should avoid competition altogether? No. I proved yesterday that it's a valuable tool. It motivates me. So do cookies. But I should make sure that the focus stays on doing my personal best, not on beating everyone else. And cookies should always be eaten after lunch.
Next post: I prove that procrastination=pie. (Ooh. Pie.)