I missed another blog week and I’m really sorry about that. I have been super busy just getting it done. All of it. Personal, work, business, creative, family, the whole nine yards. I talked last week about grindstone persistence; these last two weeks, I’ve been living that out. We moved my wife’s office, had a handful of events, and then all the regular-life stuff too. That said, it was a great writing week…
Drawing from the Well
Last week I told you that I had some fixes to implement in Book II. There were a total of five and they’re ALL DONE! It went faster than I feared, though one of the updates was pretty intensive. So that book is back on ice until I can send it to my editor. That means it’s back to Book III. I’m working through all my notes as well as setting up a lot of background things to make these updates as effective as possible. I made it through two chapters last night, but there’s plenty more to go. Here goes:
Page 9/274
Words: 3,213/144,355
Filling the Well
The last couple of weeks have seen me keeping up with my reading goal. I finished five books: Reculturing, Surrender, New York, Remote Not Distant, Carve the Mark, and The Future of the Office. Reculturing, Remote Not Distant, and The Future of the Office were all on getAbstract and all were good. They lined up very much with my own views so that was nice. Surrender, New York was incredible. It reminded me of how much and why I love Caleb Carr. I wish I could experience it all over again with fresh eyes. Carve the Mark was also great, though in a completely different way. I’m on its sequel in the duology, The Fates Divide, now and enjoying how the threat has transformed and grown so dramatically. All the assumptions I had in Carve the Mark have been turned upside down. It’s great! I’m one book ahead of pace still which feels great. Things should come together in another month or two where I finish several books at once and soar past my goal. Here’s hoping.
19/105 for #ProjectBookworm2023
I don’t talk much about gaming anymore, but I HAVE to mention The Pale Beyond. It’s the debut game from Bellular Studios (of WoW news and speculation fame on YouTube). This is a shockingly-good game. I’ve only spent a couple hours with it so far but between the atmosphere, music, characterization, and story-so-far, I’m in absolute love. If you enjoy survival games, narrative RPGs, or any game where your choices have a face and truly matter, pick it up now on Steam. It’s only $20 USD so go for it.
Well Chat
This is kind of a natural segue from last blog’s topic. There is so much going on with all of us all the time (it’s a problem in the US but that’s a topic for a different day). We all have so many goals competing for completion, not to mention the draining attention economy through social media, television, movies, games, and more. Sometimes, we say yes to too many things. Sometimes, people need us. We can’t just dip out on them because they matter to us. So what do we do?
We work our tails off to get it all done.
For me, there are a few things I do to keep from getting overwhelmed.
- Have a plan. Some days are chock full of activities and responsibilities. On those days, I will literally map the day out activity by activity, hour by hour to make sure it all gets done. I also try to build in breathing room so I don’t crash and burn. On chockers weeks, I do similar by mapping out what’s going on during which days of the week.
- Focus. We can only do one thing at a time. Even with a plan, it can become overwhelming. So once I have a plan, I only focus on the thing I’m doing and the thing that comes right after it.
- Congratulate yourself. As I check things off the list, I look back at how much I’ve completed and how much is left and give myself a little emotional boost. An attaboy just puts a little wind in my sails to keep on going, even while the list is still frighteningly long.
- Remember your why. You said yes for a reason. People matter for a reason. Remember what that is in the hard moments when you’re tired, confused, or make a mistake. It’ll keep you from wanting to quit.
- Steal time when you must. At night on busy weeks, I make sure to listen to some music, work on my book for an hour, or just read. All those things help put fuel back in my tank so I’ve got something to burn the next day. Don’t burn that midnight oil to do it, but a little self-care goes a long way.
So that’s how I get it done. It takes grindstone persistence, grit, and heart to get through times like this. You can do it too. And, worst case, phone a friend to get a breath of fresh air during the chaos. You’ll thank yourself for it.
What are you working on right now? How’re you getting through? Let me know on social media. I’d love new ideas for managing stress and busyness.
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG