One thing I have learned; good advice is not just something to read, it is to
be done. Holding my desire to ‘do
anything’ that will lead to a more productive self, (less procrastinating) I
try to do that very thing. So one day I
read this: Track your activities in
15-minute increments (or in time blocks, such as morning, afternoon etc.) this
will let you see where you are being productive and where time is being wasted.
It wasn’t long before I saw that my mornings were pretty well organized. I had a routine that worked. I followed it, honoring my intentions fairly
well. But in the afternoon, I did not have any schedule at all. I worked when I was inspired or when I was
disgusted with the state of things, or occasionally when the mornings’ project
was really, really interesting, I would continue with that. So I felt that arrangement didn’t feel like
it was working all that well. Then I
realized too, that I suffered from a frustration that was quite solvable. My frustration was boredom essentially. I wasn’t accomplishing anything, I wasn’t
challenging myself, and my wheels were spinning. Remedy?
See below.
The ability to write and be published
depends on some effort. I’ve managed to
do both but lately I am pushing towards a substantially more complex goal than
before. I want to give this (writing
thing) a fair shot. I’m aiming to
establish my place in the literary genre.
My reading reflects this, as I have embarked on a self-directed course
of study. First any fiction in the form
of short stories is paramount for me to read.
Fiction writing techniques as spelt out by various workbooks, that’s a
natural thing for me to do, I’ll always be a student. But when I realized that my afternoons were
open, I found another area that seemed natural for me. I am now my own agent. There is no sign painted on my door, but
there is effort taking place. I have an
ongoing list of things that I believe will assist me. And because I found a infrequently used
segment of time, I do this in the afternoon.
FYI – I’m a writer in the morning, every morning. I’m a student, or an agent, or a writer in
the afternoon, every afternoon, for at least an hour. It’s working.
Sweet.
