Cranky Happens

Cranky happens. Getting out can be simple, but maybe not easy.

Cranky Alert

I woke up cranky this morning.

It isn’t the first time, of course. And can happen for a number of reasons.

But there’s one reason that triggers my grouchy every time.

I had a “bad” writing day yesterday.

When I take time off from my day job, I tend to overschedule. Or at least “overhope” and “overexpect” what I can actually accomplish. You know, the 2-page list of 100 huge, long projects that I hope to finish in one day.

But what I look forward to most, is having time to make progress on my fiction. (At least I’m realistic enough to know I can’t write a novel in one day.)

Yesterday, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t generate ideas or concentrate enough to even write a first draft of a particular scene.

If you aren’t familiar with writing, a first draft is typically super, duper rough and most of the words wind up being unusable. But a draft at least means words on the page that can prompt more compelling ideas and be edited into something more usable.

What’s Really Behind the Cranky

When I look behind the frustration and crankiness, the real issue is that I feel like I wasted a whole day of life.

For years — okay — DECADES, I wasted time watching TV or pursuing interests that didn’t make a positive impact on me or others.

The thought of wasting that much of my life can lead me to giving up trying to behave differently.

But I’ve made progress. Now when I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything that is helpful, my serenity is still disrupted, but I’m also motivated to not waste more time.

My Part

It’s easy for me to try to make everything work out the way I want.

And it’s just as easy to take the positive desire to help others and make it hard work that is exhausting physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

The more difficult feat for me is the opposite: approaching any activity with lightness and freedom and enjoyment.

What Can Get Me Out of the Cranky

The only way I can avoid controlling or making hard work out of something, and taking the healthier approach of seeing activities as a privilege that I “get to do” is to:

— Get enough rest physically

— Do whatever it takes to regenerate my spirit emotionally and mentally

— Ask God to direct my thinking, which in turn helps me make healthy decisions

— Ask God for help to do what He wants

— Thank God that I have the time, ability, and energy to do what He wants

— Consciously remind myself of all the ways I’m blessed, and tell God how grateful I am

— Remember that some activities are hard work, and may be more difficult for me than other activities

— Be grateful that I know that God is the One who is in control and that I don’t have to be

Acknowledging Reality

Yes, I had an unproductive, frustrating writing day yesterday. But it was a day off from work, in an air-conditioned home when the outside heat index was 105, and I wasn’t financially dependent on the words I wasn’t able to get on paper. And there will be more opportunities to make progress on my manuscript.

So not such a bad day after all.

And if I follow my own advice, I have a way to get out of my cranky and have a more useful day today.

What helps you get out of a cranky attitude?

Cranky Happens – What helps you get out of a cranky attitude? Share on X

Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.