[CPRiderParticipant]

Thanks, Vicki. 🙂 I’m glad you don’t feel I’ve promoted that mindset. I struggle with it myself, so I make an effort not to do that here.

You make bike riding sound amazing. I can see why you enjoy it so much.

Cheryl

Victoria Elliot wrote:

Thanks for the post, Cheryl. You do a great job providing a supportive and positive environment, and I’ve never once felt any pressure from you or the group to produce in an unhealthy way.

For fun, I do a lot of bike riding. It gives me such an appreciation for where I live and how beautiful it is here in Colorado. One of the things I love about being on my bike is seeing other people on bikes. There’s a sense of community among cyclists, and you almost always get a wave and a smile. There’s something about being on a bike that makes me see my surroundings differently than I would in a car. And, it’s just nice to be outside in the sun and fresh air.

As for toxic productivity, I don’t think I’ve experienced this mindset specifically, but there are times I get swept into anxiety spirals about writing. I think because writing isn’t my primary job and I have to make the time to do it, I sometimes start to feel like I’m not getting enough accomplished, or I’m not as far along on a project as I’d like to be, or I’m missing out on other things in life because I spend so much time on something that is still essentially a hobby. It’s hard sometimes not to say, “Screw it,” and stop even trying. Fortunately, I have a lot of support from my husband and friends, and there are enough successes (contests, manuscript requests, etc.), that these moments never last too long.