Thinking Outside the Box

The other day, I couldn’t stop thinking about making ice cream. Cream cheese ice cream to be specific, with Kahlua and caramel liqueur mixed in.

“You could try using Greek yogurt instead,” I told myself. “That would be better for you.”

Having jumped aboard the healthy bus, I took things a step further.

“As long as you’re looking for a high-protein alternative, I wonder if you could make cottage cheese ice cream?”

It turns out you can, as long as you have a way to whip it up. And it’s delicious.

Sure, my version still has a little sweetener (agave to be exact) and some booze, but it’s a whole lot better for me than the heavy cream and cream cheese version.

What does this have to do with writing?

Not a lot, I’ll admit.

But there is a lesson here, a moral to the tale. Thinking outside the box can make doing the right thing–like working on your book instead of procrastinating–downright appealing.

I’d love to hear how thinking outside the box works for you on the writing front or any other part of your life.