Driving home from my parents' place today, I saw a little kid walking with his mother, wielding a cricket bat and taking shadow swings with a beaming smile on his face. I was instantly taken back to my own childhood and the endless lists of things that I was super-passionate about - and imagined I'd achieve when I finally grew up.
Whilst I no longer take my tennis racquet everywhere with me, or dress up like a superhero, I realized that I still - in a more understated, adult way, carry with me the books, both published that I read, and the manuscripts, notebooks and diaries that I write, making a declaration of sorts to the world that I still desire something - that I still very much have a dream that I wish to someday (soon) turn into a reality.
That young boy today was no doubt imagining hitting a ball out for a '6' and winning The Ashes, and was doing so without trying to hide his burning ambition from those around him. It seems that as we grow up, we tend to dream in a little more subdued way, or layer it with the real life necessities and obligations that adults must contend with in life.
That isn't a bad thing - after all, a life in its complicated entirety is so much more than an achievement, a trophy, or a publishing deal.
But...
I think it's healthy, necessary and vital to every so often stand up with a hand on one's heart and make a wish upon a star. Tell the world - in most cases, the people in your life, what you wish for in those quiet and honest moments. If you put it out into the world, chances are someone, somewhere will hear.
Be brave!
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label goals. Show all posts
Sunday, 14 July 2013
Friday, 1 February 2013
Underrated February
Poor February – it has an odd amount of days making it the attic-dwelling stepchild of the proper months. Even in a leap year it doesn’t quite make the minimum thirty-day grade. January has the lingering after-effects of New Year’s indulgences and March sees a change in season and the celebration of Easter for a lot of folks around the world. But little anomalous Feb? No one expects a thing from this calendar oddity.
But I’m here to say that it could be the most positive and formative month of the year. One that will set the tone and catapult your year to greatness. I’ll break it down…
People either love or hate making New Year’s resolutions. Some say it helps them put to bed a tiring year by motivating them to look ahead, and others say it matters not how you start the year, only how you finish it (commitment over motivation). Personally, I see both sides of the argument. Regardless, it has been proven that come February most ardent ‘resolutionaries’ lose traction, and those focusing on the year’s end may not have gotten seriously started yet.
So, why not make February your month? When no one expects too much and there are no more holidays to distract you, why not grab your life and give it a shake? Writing, diet and exercise, new social endeavors, new personal creeds, etc…Go hard! After all, no one’s watching and it’s a short month…so what have you got to lose?
But I’m here to say that it could be the most positive and formative month of the year. One that will set the tone and catapult your year to greatness. I’ll break it down…
People either love or hate making New Year’s resolutions. Some say it helps them put to bed a tiring year by motivating them to look ahead, and others say it matters not how you start the year, only how you finish it (commitment over motivation). Personally, I see both sides of the argument. Regardless, it has been proven that come February most ardent ‘resolutionaries’ lose traction, and those focusing on the year’s end may not have gotten seriously started yet.
So, why not make February your month? When no one expects too much and there are no more holidays to distract you, why not grab your life and give it a shake? Writing, diet and exercise, new social endeavors, new personal creeds, etc…Go hard! After all, no one’s watching and it’s a short month…so what have you got to lose?
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Its been a while...
There’s nothing like bypassing January to escape all the requisite talk of resolutions (see post last year)…but in all seriousness, I’ve just returned from a relaxing and indulgent holiday in New Zealand. It sure helped to take the sting out of going back to work after the Christmas/New Year holidays. The copious amounts of gourmet food, wine, sweet treats – both at restaurants and over at the homes of friends and family was manna from heaven and a great way to farewell 2012 and welcome the new year.
Whilst I was relaxing up in the mountainous pine forests of New Zealand’s Coromandel Coast I got to thinking…what do I want to do/try/experience, and ultimately be this year?
My last blog entry was in October, and from that date till the Christmas shutdown period, I was consumed by work. For those of you who have followed by blog, you may recall that I was studying for my government license to assess pilots and cabin crew on emergency procedures. I’m pleased (and a little more than relieved) to report that at the beginning of December I achieved that milestone, and as a reward, I have been banished to the classroom and the simulators ever since in order to train, assess, examine, and sometimes yell - all in the name of air safety. My little sojourn allowed me to take stock, reflect and set the stage for the coming period.
Regarding my career and my writing aspirations, one thing I realized is that I am no longer ‘waiting tables looking for my big break.’ By that I mean the days of taking all sorts of odd jobs (usually poor paying ones) in order to feed my writing habit are over (in reality they have been for the last few years). Although I enjoyed my bohemian existence in my early twenties, now that I’m in my thirties, I’m pleased to report that I can juggle a respectable professional career while knocking on the publishing world’s door. I could do worse than follow in the footsteps of say…Michael Crichton or Tess Gerritsen, among many other luminaries.
Having said that, since I had to spend most of last year working assiduously on my nine-to-five persona, I am now wildly free to focus on my life’s other great love (that is, other than the wonderful people in my life) = writing. Busy as I was last year, I did work my little keister off on polishing my YA novel. I had hoped (and plainly stated in an early entry) that I would have finished the requisite changes/improvements and be on my submission journey way before the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. But I’m actually proud to admit that I didn’t get there. (In fact I have four more chapters ahead of me, so I didn’t miss the mark too badly). The reason I mention this is because I’m kind of proud of my shortcoming… For someone who would love nothing more than to receive ‘The Call’ from an agent, I finally came to the peaceful realization that I will not sacrifice quality in order to submit. I always understood that rushing would lead to sub par writing and thus reduce the chance of publication, but the angst and youthful impatience was always there, buzzing away. But not anymore. I like this new zen-like me. Let’s see if it holds me in good stead moving forward.
To finish (I apologize for the long entry), I am excited about blogging on a more consistent basis. If last year was my freshman attempt, this year’s sophomoric ramblings will be more assured and more consistent…I promise.
Whilst I was relaxing up in the mountainous pine forests of New Zealand’s Coromandel Coast I got to thinking…what do I want to do/try/experience, and ultimately be this year?
My last blog entry was in October, and from that date till the Christmas shutdown period, I was consumed by work. For those of you who have followed by blog, you may recall that I was studying for my government license to assess pilots and cabin crew on emergency procedures. I’m pleased (and a little more than relieved) to report that at the beginning of December I achieved that milestone, and as a reward, I have been banished to the classroom and the simulators ever since in order to train, assess, examine, and sometimes yell - all in the name of air safety. My little sojourn allowed me to take stock, reflect and set the stage for the coming period.
Regarding my career and my writing aspirations, one thing I realized is that I am no longer ‘waiting tables looking for my big break.’ By that I mean the days of taking all sorts of odd jobs (usually poor paying ones) in order to feed my writing habit are over (in reality they have been for the last few years). Although I enjoyed my bohemian existence in my early twenties, now that I’m in my thirties, I’m pleased to report that I can juggle a respectable professional career while knocking on the publishing world’s door. I could do worse than follow in the footsteps of say…Michael Crichton or Tess Gerritsen, among many other luminaries.
Having said that, since I had to spend most of last year working assiduously on my nine-to-five persona, I am now wildly free to focus on my life’s other great love (that is, other than the wonderful people in my life) = writing. Busy as I was last year, I did work my little keister off on polishing my YA novel. I had hoped (and plainly stated in an early entry) that I would have finished the requisite changes/improvements and be on my submission journey way before the fireworks on New Year’s Eve. But I’m actually proud to admit that I didn’t get there. (In fact I have four more chapters ahead of me, so I didn’t miss the mark too badly). The reason I mention this is because I’m kind of proud of my shortcoming… For someone who would love nothing more than to receive ‘The Call’ from an agent, I finally came to the peaceful realization that I will not sacrifice quality in order to submit. I always understood that rushing would lead to sub par writing and thus reduce the chance of publication, but the angst and youthful impatience was always there, buzzing away. But not anymore. I like this new zen-like me. Let’s see if it holds me in good stead moving forward.
To finish (I apologize for the long entry), I am excited about blogging on a more consistent basis. If last year was my freshman attempt, this year’s sophomoric ramblings will be more assured and more consistent…I promise.
Friday, 19 October 2012
For Better or Worse
Last weekend I was fortunate enough to attend two weddings - one was on Friday afternoon, floating on a pontoon in Sydney Harbour, and the other was on Sunday, two hours drive north in a picturesque surf club on the ocean's edge. Both were beautiful events that celebrated love, foremost, along with other grand notions such as fate, fortune, happiness and commitment, alongside overcoming obstacles and adversity, which if we're honest represent some of the major hallmarks of the human condition.
Of course on such days guests are usually inspired to evaluate their own lives and highlight the similarities and differences all wrapped in a package of gratitude - and I was no different. So in between chatting to the happy couple x2, other guests, eating/drinking and celebrating on the dance floor, I was indeed awash with these thoughts and feelings.
Now, this post could easily be about the love in my life, but since I am a fierce protector of the privacy of my loved ones, I do not think it appropriate to over-share. But I will say that I am fortunate and I do cherish all those who willingly share their lives with me and who allow me to share mine with theirs. I'm a lucky boy!
Instead, as this is a blog about following one's heart in respect to one's purpose in life, I thought of the correlation between the exchanging of marital vows with that of the bond of writing. A bit of a leap, granted, (about the size of the Grand Canyon), but a quirky and fun leap at that!
For those artists/creators out there - it matters not which form of art is your poison, there is a time (whether the occasion is marked or not) that you commit or surrender to your form of art and you become bound to it. It becomes part of your DNA; a part of what makes you 'you.' It permeates your reasoning and becomes a form of ballast in the turbulent waters of life. And like a wedding of sorts it requires the recitation of vows...
I, Farmer Kidd, take thee, writing, to be my lawfully wedded endeavor, to have and to hold from this day forward (I can't give this up, even if I wanted to - it's in my blood), for better or worse (inspired creating or hackneyed rubbish), for richer or poorer (bestselling lists or print-outs on A4 paper handed to bemused relations), in sickness and in health (unsellable concepts to commercial gold), to love, honour, and cherish (to simultaneously give me purpose and torment me), til death us do part (yep, that's what it'll take for me to give up).
So, for those creative types out there - I now pronounce you 'artist and subject.' You may kiss the...I'll leave that part up to you.
Have a long, happy and successful marriage...as divorce is not an option ;-)
Of course on such days guests are usually inspired to evaluate their own lives and highlight the similarities and differences all wrapped in a package of gratitude - and I was no different. So in between chatting to the happy couple x2, other guests, eating/drinking and celebrating on the dance floor, I was indeed awash with these thoughts and feelings.
Now, this post could easily be about the love in my life, but since I am a fierce protector of the privacy of my loved ones, I do not think it appropriate to over-share. But I will say that I am fortunate and I do cherish all those who willingly share their lives with me and who allow me to share mine with theirs. I'm a lucky boy!
Instead, as this is a blog about following one's heart in respect to one's purpose in life, I thought of the correlation between the exchanging of marital vows with that of the bond of writing. A bit of a leap, granted, (about the size of the Grand Canyon), but a quirky and fun leap at that!
For those artists/creators out there - it matters not which form of art is your poison, there is a time (whether the occasion is marked or not) that you commit or surrender to your form of art and you become bound to it. It becomes part of your DNA; a part of what makes you 'you.' It permeates your reasoning and becomes a form of ballast in the turbulent waters of life. And like a wedding of sorts it requires the recitation of vows...
I, Farmer Kidd, take thee, writing, to be my lawfully wedded endeavor, to have and to hold from this day forward (I can't give this up, even if I wanted to - it's in my blood), for better or worse (inspired creating or hackneyed rubbish), for richer or poorer (bestselling lists or print-outs on A4 paper handed to bemused relations), in sickness and in health (unsellable concepts to commercial gold), to love, honour, and cherish (to simultaneously give me purpose and torment me), til death us do part (yep, that's what it'll take for me to give up).
So, for those creative types out there - I now pronounce you 'artist and subject.' You may kiss the...I'll leave that part up to you.
Have a long, happy and successful marriage...as divorce is not an option ;-)
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wedding_rings.jpg |
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Just How Badly Do You Want It?
Being a pragmatic dreamer; one that has both his head firmly in the clouds and his feet squarely on terra firma, I've long straddled the dual worlds of sensible adulthood (working hard on a respectable career; working towards owning a house; ensuring I'm financially responsible; being a good partner, son, brother and friend; giving back to the world, etc), and starry-eyed schoolboy who really believes that we're born to find out what we love to do on this planet and to just do it, regardless of the potential roadblocks, insurmountable as they sometimes appear to be.
I don't think I'm alone here, right? So, does that mean we have to continue living this in-between limbo between sensible adult and starry-eyed child (and therefore ultimately not succeeding in either role), or can I choose? Can we still function in a world that requires us to be the responsible people that we are, yet focus on what we want to be, do, achieve and experience?
Absolutely! You do not have to focus on things 'as they are' but instead put your energies to 'things as you would like them to be'. Now, on the surface that may seem like wishful denial - but it really isn't. If, as we're continually told that 'what you think about, you bring about', then why not focus on what you desire? The stuff that is happening now - will still exist. I don't have to have my every thought trained on it....because if I do, I'll just perpetuate more of the same straddling!
So, here's the experiment - live today with the respect, commitment and responsibility that it deserves (current circumstances included), but intend something different with your thoughts. Dream brighter, louder, wilder. Feel your mood lift as you think better and better thoughts. After all what's the risk? If nothing changes, then nothing changes, but I'm certain it will.
Push through the fear and ask yourself what you're willing to do to make it happen. Providence will then come knocking on your door. It's knocking on mine...
I don't think I'm alone here, right? So, does that mean we have to continue living this in-between limbo between sensible adult and starry-eyed child (and therefore ultimately not succeeding in either role), or can I choose? Can we still function in a world that requires us to be the responsible people that we are, yet focus on what we want to be, do, achieve and experience?
Absolutely! You do not have to focus on things 'as they are' but instead put your energies to 'things as you would like them to be'. Now, on the surface that may seem like wishful denial - but it really isn't. If, as we're continually told that 'what you think about, you bring about', then why not focus on what you desire? The stuff that is happening now - will still exist. I don't have to have my every thought trained on it....because if I do, I'll just perpetuate more of the same straddling!
So, here's the experiment - live today with the respect, commitment and responsibility that it deserves (current circumstances included), but intend something different with your thoughts. Dream brighter, louder, wilder. Feel your mood lift as you think better and better thoughts. After all what's the risk? If nothing changes, then nothing changes, but I'm certain it will.
Push through the fear and ask yourself what you're willing to do to make it happen. Providence will then come knocking on your door. It's knocking on mine...
Monday, 30 July 2012
Let's Bring Back Half-Birthdays!
A little glance at my calendar the other day triggered a long-forgotten memory. I remembered being a young lad who in an effort to grow up as quickly as possible (so I could become an adult and do whatever I liked - if only that were true), I would latch onto any sign that I was getting older.
And so, like many boys and girls my age, I would happily declare to anyone even mildly interested that I was 7 and a quarter, or 11 and a half, and so on.
These days, I am most certainly not in a rush to get older! I happily embrace it but I'm not in a rush, if you get my meaning. However, when I flicked my calendar over and I realized that I was 35 and a quarter, I decided to regress a little and do two things.
One was celebrate! After all, I'll use any excuse, however flimsy, to eat cake or chocolate, watch a favorite film, sing my gratitude for the good stuff in my life...
And two, was look at my goals. What had I accomplished so far? What would I like to achieve between now and my half-birthday three months away? After all, a lot can be accomplished in that time. Add a little extrinsic motivation, say...like a week away with friends at the end of it (which I've booked), and my waning motivation got the shot in the arm that it definitely needed.
So today I went to work, then I finished editing a particularly tricky chapter, before going to the gym. Woo hoo! Although I am cognizant that motivation spurs you on yet commitment gets you to your destination, I am happy for something to have re-calibrated my engine, as it were. Add a cake in there, and I say it's reason to celebrate!
And so, like many boys and girls my age, I would happily declare to anyone even mildly interested that I was 7 and a quarter, or 11 and a half, and so on.
These days, I am most certainly not in a rush to get older! I happily embrace it but I'm not in a rush, if you get my meaning. However, when I flicked my calendar over and I realized that I was 35 and a quarter, I decided to regress a little and do two things.
One was celebrate! After all, I'll use any excuse, however flimsy, to eat cake or chocolate, watch a favorite film, sing my gratitude for the good stuff in my life...
And two, was look at my goals. What had I accomplished so far? What would I like to achieve between now and my half-birthday three months away? After all, a lot can be accomplished in that time. Add a little extrinsic motivation, say...like a week away with friends at the end of it (which I've booked), and my waning motivation got the shot in the arm that it definitely needed.
So today I went to work, then I finished editing a particularly tricky chapter, before going to the gym. Woo hoo! Although I am cognizant that motivation spurs you on yet commitment gets you to your destination, I am happy for something to have re-calibrated my engine, as it were. Add a cake in there, and I say it's reason to celebrate!
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chocolate_Cake_Flourless_(1).jpg |
Saturday, 30 June 2012
The Halfway Mark
We're halfway through 2012... Six months to go before the end of the year (and according to some Mayan theorists, the end of the world. Methinks the world will definitely keep turning past December 21 but I am looking forward to the forthcoming 'human interest' stories at the end of the 6 o'clock news that will no doubt depict people preparing for the end of days in their kitted-up bomb shelters. Zany fun!)
Be that as it may, I thought that since we had reached the halfway mark, I'd commemorate the occasion with a point-check of sorts. Not an exhaustive checklist of resolutions but more of a "so you made a list of goals for 2012...now that the novelty has seriously worn off and we're halfway to the year's end, how are you doing...really?"
So, holding up a mirror (which is never much fun), let's look at the battle scars this year has afflicted thus far.
Being a half-glass full kinda fella, lets begin with the positives...
In no particular order... I am at the midpoint of editing my novel - I've edited and rewritten this manuscript many times, each time chipping more rock away from the gem underneath. I read once that if you think you cannot edit your book anymore, then go over it one final time. This is where I am up to - and I am excited at the results so far; I have just returned from a little 4-day trip to Bali. I had a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating time that was much needed; Whilst away I received the mock-up of my author website from my awesome website designer and I got tears in my eyes and goosebumps running up my arms - it signifies another step taken in the direction of my writing career - more on that to come; I am in better shape than I was when the year began - a continuing work in progress; and my new blog is slowly building...to name the stuff that comes straight to mind.
And of course, the not-so positives...
Work is currently exhausting - Since February I've started at a new department and its been a steady menu of studying, lecturing, being critiqued, observed, examined, rinse and repeat. Strangely enough, I am halfway (there's that 50% status bar again) from getting my license and being let loose on the pilot and cabin crew population. Thank goodness for my wonderfully supportive colleagues; Illness has affected those in my immediate family. To respect their privacy, all I will say is that in the last six months diagnoses of cancer, Parkinson's, and spinal surgery/chronic pain has wobbled all our respective orbits; finances are nearly non-existent causing cumulative stress; and my time management skills have ranged from the sublime to the woefully inadequate.
All in all, I am taking stock, relishing the forthcoming opportunities, rededicating myself to my dreams, gratefully living a healthy and loving life, and stepping out to meet these next six months hopefully with a little grace and a little smile on my face.
Who's with me?
Be that as it may, I thought that since we had reached the halfway mark, I'd commemorate the occasion with a point-check of sorts. Not an exhaustive checklist of resolutions but more of a "so you made a list of goals for 2012...now that the novelty has seriously worn off and we're halfway to the year's end, how are you doing...really?"
So, holding up a mirror (which is never much fun), let's look at the battle scars this year has afflicted thus far.
Being a half-glass full kinda fella, lets begin with the positives...
In no particular order... I am at the midpoint of editing my novel - I've edited and rewritten this manuscript many times, each time chipping more rock away from the gem underneath. I read once that if you think you cannot edit your book anymore, then go over it one final time. This is where I am up to - and I am excited at the results so far; I have just returned from a little 4-day trip to Bali. I had a wonderfully relaxing and rejuvenating time that was much needed; Whilst away I received the mock-up of my author website from my awesome website designer and I got tears in my eyes and goosebumps running up my arms - it signifies another step taken in the direction of my writing career - more on that to come; I am in better shape than I was when the year began - a continuing work in progress; and my new blog is slowly building...to name the stuff that comes straight to mind.
And of course, the not-so positives...
Work is currently exhausting - Since February I've started at a new department and its been a steady menu of studying, lecturing, being critiqued, observed, examined, rinse and repeat. Strangely enough, I am halfway (there's that 50% status bar again) from getting my license and being let loose on the pilot and cabin crew population. Thank goodness for my wonderfully supportive colleagues; Illness has affected those in my immediate family. To respect their privacy, all I will say is that in the last six months diagnoses of cancer, Parkinson's, and spinal surgery/chronic pain has wobbled all our respective orbits; finances are nearly non-existent causing cumulative stress; and my time management skills have ranged from the sublime to the woefully inadequate.
All in all, I am taking stock, relishing the forthcoming opportunities, rededicating myself to my dreams, gratefully living a healthy and loving life, and stepping out to meet these next six months hopefully with a little grace and a little smile on my face.
Who's with me?
Sunday, 17 June 2012
The Observer Effect
It is a law of physics that the mere act of observation changes/affects that which is being observed.
There has been many experiments in the field of quantum mechanics - the science of the very small, where it has been proven that the electrons that surround the nucleus of an atom, which are non-local in nature (not in one precise point but rather in a cloud of potentiality) only condense to become local if they are being observed. So in essence they move from potentially being anywhere and everywhere in the orbit of a nucleus to a precise point only if someone is there to watch it.
I hope I haven't made an absolute mess of trying to break down ridiculously complex physics into basic language but I really wanted to post something which is scientific law and relevant to our everyday experience.
There are many examples where this law could be used to illustrate its veracity. I'll use creative license and talk about two such examples.
There has been many experiments in the field of quantum mechanics - the science of the very small, where it has been proven that the electrons that surround the nucleus of an atom, which are non-local in nature (not in one precise point but rather in a cloud of potentiality) only condense to become local if they are being observed. So in essence they move from potentially being anywhere and everywhere in the orbit of a nucleus to a precise point only if someone is there to watch it.
I hope I haven't made an absolute mess of trying to break down ridiculously complex physics into basic language but I really wanted to post something which is scientific law and relevant to our everyday experience.
There are many examples where this law could be used to illustrate its veracity. I'll use creative license and talk about two such examples.
- A metaphoric example: Since this blog is partly about living one's dreams, I thought I would attempt to make a link between this immutable law and the act of achieving one's goals. As we continually make lists of things we like to see, do, have, accomplish, experience, etc, we create a field of potentiality; one that we continue to hone, refine, improve upon and so on as time goes by and our life experience builds. It just so happens that the actual achievement of said goal/s only comes when you have kept your attention on it (taking time, effort, opportunity, luck and the other nebulous bits) to bring the dream out of the ether into solid reality. What you think about you bring about we're constantly told...
- A literal example: Since this blog is also about the creative endeavor - specifically writing, here is an example where I have personal experience... With writing I have repeatedly come across the advice that you should be careful about showing anyone your writing - whilst it is in its draft stages (the question of 'when is a book truly finished?' will be tackled in a future post). The reason being is that your reader/observer through your invitation will affect your writing through sharing opinion, asking a question, making a comment, omitting a comment, making a facial expression (real or imagined), and on it goes. Sometimes this can be to the benefit of the story and other times to its detriment - but either way, it will change the beast and affect you, the writer. It cannot be any other way.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
The Carousel of Guilt
After posting my last blog - regarding my 'day job' as an Aviation Instructor and the rigors of training, I had hoped to reengage with both my writing and my posting. Perhaps it was naive of me to expect to go full tilt, but I did expect to do more than I subsequently have = not a thing.
So, my sometime companion, guilt, popped by to torture me softly over what I should be doing, of what should have been done, and what I must now do.
Perhaps it's wisdom in age - another birthday just passed last week, but I thought to myself that this time, this time, I would not let my unwanted mental house-guest to outstay its welcome. And it is welcome, only because it spurs me to activate my situational awareness of my current state - which is healthy, but then it continues on and starts sabotaging my feelings of self-worth and self-esteem, culminating in "I'll never get published at this rate" and the like.
How many fellow writers out there go through the same dance?
The excuses are invariably there - new job is intense, I'm keeping long hours, I'm studying at home to the point of dreaming of airplanes, trying to keep up with my home obligations, squeezing in a life and some sorely needed sleep to name but a few. I could then either hold these reasons up as armor and feel vindicated, or feel forlorn that I've hid behind them and failed to achieve what I set out to do. Both options I have visited.
But not this time.
Simply put, it is what it is, and now I will revisit my time management schedule (I've started keeping one this year, and before the changes at work threw it all asunder, I was kicking goals rather well), and I will take things ONE STEP AT A TIME. Do one thing, followed by the next, and so on.
That is how anything worthwhile gets done (and hopefully done well, with skill and care). I will keep my dreams on an achievable, bite-sized scale, AND I will allow myself to be a multifaceted and flawed human who lives and loves in the real world - with all of its unpredictability.
I call that progress.
I hope by sharing I might help others out there get off the nauseating Carousel of Guilt.
Happy writing!
So, my sometime companion, guilt, popped by to torture me softly over what I should be doing, of what should have been done, and what I must now do.
Perhaps it's wisdom in age - another birthday just passed last week, but I thought to myself that this time, this time, I would not let my unwanted mental house-guest to outstay its welcome. And it is welcome, only because it spurs me to activate my situational awareness of my current state - which is healthy, but then it continues on and starts sabotaging my feelings of self-worth and self-esteem, culminating in "I'll never get published at this rate" and the like.
How many fellow writers out there go through the same dance?
The excuses are invariably there - new job is intense, I'm keeping long hours, I'm studying at home to the point of dreaming of airplanes, trying to keep up with my home obligations, squeezing in a life and some sorely needed sleep to name but a few. I could then either hold these reasons up as armor and feel vindicated, or feel forlorn that I've hid behind them and failed to achieve what I set out to do. Both options I have visited.
But not this time.
Simply put, it is what it is, and now I will revisit my time management schedule (I've started keeping one this year, and before the changes at work threw it all asunder, I was kicking goals rather well), and I will take things ONE STEP AT A TIME. Do one thing, followed by the next, and so on.
That is how anything worthwhile gets done (and hopefully done well, with skill and care). I will keep my dreams on an achievable, bite-sized scale, AND I will allow myself to be a multifaceted and flawed human who lives and loves in the real world - with all of its unpredictability.
I call that progress.
I hope by sharing I might help others out there get off the nauseating Carousel of Guilt.
Happy writing!
Monday, 27 February 2012
And the Academy Award goes to...
I have just finished watching the Oscars - Not the entire broadcast mind you, I pretty much fast-forwarded to the Top 8 Categories... Best Original Screenplay; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Director; Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Best Actor in a Leading Role; Best Actress in a Leading Role and; Best Picture.
(No disrespect to the FOUR hour extravaganza, it's just that it aired here in Sydney smack bang in the middle of the day and I had to work...cough...)
For an unabashed lover of the cinema, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed all the films that scored the acting awards - The Help; The Iron Lady; Beginners; The Artist. (Special mention to A Week With Marilyn, too).
For all storytellers, originality or the closest thing to it, is something that we revel in and strive for. How to stay true to your voice and write with passion - to not follow the path that others have laid, but to forge your own (all the while being sane enough to take note, respect the craft and the trusted storytelling archetypal framework), is the ultimate goal for many. That is why I found this year's disparate Oscar-nominated films a wonderful example of exactly that - unbridled creativity.
None so more than the winner of Best Picture - The Artist.
A silent film? Who would finance this? Who would believe in the creator of this wild concept enough to take a chance? And who would see it ('how many people would pay to see it' is probably the more important question for the commercially-minded)?
Most writers look at their own work in the same hopeful way. 'Who will take a chance on me - on this?'
Watching 'The Artist' win today - and seeing 'The Help' succeed so wonderfully (the author, Kathryn Stockett was soundly rejected by over 60 literary agents), is wonderful food for the creative soul.
May this inspire further creators out there to spin tales - and to never stop believing.
(No disrespect to the FOUR hour extravaganza, it's just that it aired here in Sydney smack bang in the middle of the day and I had to work...cough...)
For an unabashed lover of the cinema, I must say I thoroughly enjoyed all the films that scored the acting awards - The Help; The Iron Lady; Beginners; The Artist. (Special mention to A Week With Marilyn, too).
For all storytellers, originality or the closest thing to it, is something that we revel in and strive for. How to stay true to your voice and write with passion - to not follow the path that others have laid, but to forge your own (all the while being sane enough to take note, respect the craft and the trusted storytelling archetypal framework), is the ultimate goal for many. That is why I found this year's disparate Oscar-nominated films a wonderful example of exactly that - unbridled creativity.
None so more than the winner of Best Picture - The Artist.
A silent film? Who would finance this? Who would believe in the creator of this wild concept enough to take a chance? And who would see it ('how many people would pay to see it' is probably the more important question for the commercially-minded)?
Most writers look at their own work in the same hopeful way. 'Who will take a chance on me - on this?'
Watching 'The Artist' win today - and seeing 'The Help' succeed so wonderfully (the author, Kathryn Stockett was soundly rejected by over 60 literary agents), is wonderful food for the creative soul.
May this inspire further creators out there to spin tales - and to never stop believing.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
The Ultimate Athlete?
As an avid tennis fan (it's the only sport I am remotely decent at), I was glued to the television during the men's singles final of the Australian Open between Djokovic and Nadal. After nearly six gruelling hours of punishing tennis, the World No.1 triumphed and lifted his fifth grand slam trophy (he in fact has won 4 out of the last 5).
Perhaps it's a little bit of a stretch to insert the analogy of being a writer into the realm of a being a tennis player, but indulge me a little. I promise not to use too much latitude...
Before the beginning of 2011, Djokovic had a single major under his belt (way back in 2008). Nadal and Federer were firmly entrenched as the dominating duopoly of the game. So what it is that made Djokovic suddenly go on a tear that has crowned him a clear Number 1?
At that level they all play amazing tennis, and their athletic prowess is otherworldly. So what indeed makes up the difference between these gifted athletes in a sport where there must only be one winner? If physically, you are a solid specimen, and you've put in all the required hours on the practice court, in the gym, with nutrition, etc, then all that's left behind is that hard-to-quantify and cliche ridden, grey matter: mental strength.
When he was asked multiple times last year how he had managed to suddenly usurp his competition, Djokovic kept replying that it was his belief - his new mentality that was the difference. That he as a player did not suddenly play a radically different game. The men's final on the 29th January was indeed a microcosm of his burgeoning belief. He did not give up. He believed in his ability. He stood toe-to-toe with an athlete who is arguably the fittest player on the tour and he refused to break...
So, why am I blogging about this? Sure, as a tennis fan, this story is both entertaining and intriguing - but as a writer, I found some interesting parallels. There are indeed so many wonderfully talented writers already in print, and others waiting to be discovered. You compete among thousands to be represented by a literary agent, who then competes with countless others to place your work with a publisher who only has finite slots to fill, who then attempts to sell the finished product to the saturated market in order to make substantial capital. The question for the aspiring author is, why should your manuscript be the one to compete - and win - against such tall odds and plentiful competition?
When you have put in (and continue to put in) all the hard yards; when you keep reaching out, learning all you can from those who have gone before; when you hone those unique set of storytelling skills, and you continue to write - what is the nebulous extra bit that will get you over the line?
Belief.
Perhaps it's a little bit of a stretch to insert the analogy of being a writer into the realm of a being a tennis player, but indulge me a little. I promise not to use too much latitude...
Before the beginning of 2011, Djokovic had a single major under his belt (way back in 2008). Nadal and Federer were firmly entrenched as the dominating duopoly of the game. So what it is that made Djokovic suddenly go on a tear that has crowned him a clear Number 1?
At that level they all play amazing tennis, and their athletic prowess is otherworldly. So what indeed makes up the difference between these gifted athletes in a sport where there must only be one winner? If physically, you are a solid specimen, and you've put in all the required hours on the practice court, in the gym, with nutrition, etc, then all that's left behind is that hard-to-quantify and cliche ridden, grey matter: mental strength.
When he was asked multiple times last year how he had managed to suddenly usurp his competition, Djokovic kept replying that it was his belief - his new mentality that was the difference. That he as a player did not suddenly play a radically different game. The men's final on the 29th January was indeed a microcosm of his burgeoning belief. He did not give up. He believed in his ability. He stood toe-to-toe with an athlete who is arguably the fittest player on the tour and he refused to break...
So, why am I blogging about this? Sure, as a tennis fan, this story is both entertaining and intriguing - but as a writer, I found some interesting parallels. There are indeed so many wonderfully talented writers already in print, and others waiting to be discovered. You compete among thousands to be represented by a literary agent, who then competes with countless others to place your work with a publisher who only has finite slots to fill, who then attempts to sell the finished product to the saturated market in order to make substantial capital. The question for the aspiring author is, why should your manuscript be the one to compete - and win - against such tall odds and plentiful competition?
When you have put in (and continue to put in) all the hard yards; when you keep reaching out, learning all you can from those who have gone before; when you hone those unique set of storytelling skills, and you continue to write - what is the nebulous extra bit that will get you over the line?
Belief.
Saturday, 21 January 2012
And So It Begins...
I thought I'd start with the obligatory New Year's Resolutions - except with an important twist. I am not going to make vague claims of getting in better shape (although the holiday season has been brutal on my waistline), or about lofty goals that are personal to me - yet boring to you, which may be seen as self-indulgent. Instead, I am going to take my goals for 2012 and put them in a (very) short-term time capsule. One that I will break open at the end of the year.
I heretofore promise to share my victories, defeats and moments of mediocrity once the sun sets on what should be a fantastic year. Besides, according to some who have had a stab at interpreting the Mayan calendar - if the world ends on Dec 21, I may not need to worry about having egg on my face ;-)
What I now will share, however, is the goal of living life as fully as possible. That, and scoring a marvelous literary agent/superhero that will help dissect the word 'aspiring' from the word 'writer.' I'm banking on the fact that using a time-management journal in order to pencil in my daily/weekly/monthly tasks will stop me scratching my head and wondering where the year has gone come December.
Remember folks: create SMARTER goals...
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely
Evaluate them, then
Reassess
May it be the best year yet for you.
I heretofore promise to share my victories, defeats and moments of mediocrity once the sun sets on what should be a fantastic year. Besides, according to some who have had a stab at interpreting the Mayan calendar - if the world ends on Dec 21, I may not need to worry about having egg on my face ;-)
What I now will share, however, is the goal of living life as fully as possible. That, and scoring a marvelous literary agent/superhero that will help dissect the word 'aspiring' from the word 'writer.' I'm banking on the fact that using a time-management journal in order to pencil in my daily/weekly/monthly tasks will stop me scratching my head and wondering where the year has gone come December.
Remember folks: create SMARTER goals...
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Timely
Evaluate them, then
Reassess
May it be the best year yet for you.
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