When I was a kid, I worked hard to play hard. It was a byproduct of being homeschooled. I learned that I could complete all my work in three or four hours and be free to do as I pleased the rest of the day, which sometimes meant bike rides, extra trips to the library, or a continuation of whatever story I was directing on the set of my bedroom floor.
Be Still
I know the importance of being still, but I’m no good at it. I try to be, but it’s a struggle. I’m followed by various tracks of questions put on repeat: “What do I do next? What should I be doing? Am I doing the right thing? How do I know if I’m doing the right thing? If I’m not doing the right thing, what should I be doing? What should I be pursuing? What about that person? Did I offend that person? Why is he or she being quiet? What should I do?” The questions aren’t easy ones to answer – they often are impossible to answer – yet the perfectionistic, impatient person I am wants answers right now. The more I think about how I don’t have the answers, the more frustrated and worried I become. I turn into the polar opposite of stillness. I’m on edge, jittery, cranky.
How to Get Things Done When You Have a Day Job and a Side Business
Not many people know I have a day job, which is somewhat by design. I don’t feel that talking about my day job adds much to the aims of Write Right. I have a day job; it’s in marketing; it’s what I do and where I am from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. every Monday through Friday.
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Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith and the Work Ahead Mentality
Give me a minute, I’m good. Give me an hour, I’m great.
– Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith
Any time I think about people who work ahead, the thoughts are now accompanied by Liam Neeson’s voice. It’s a little odd, hearing his voice in my head. It’s made even odder by the fact that I have this mental image of him that is half Hannibal and half Ra’s al Ghul. It makes for some digging when I have to figure out who said the line about minutes and hours. In this case, Hannibal is the culprit.
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It’s My Birthday Month
My birthday is this month, which means I’m celebrating it all month long. The rules are simple: anything I attend, do, or start is in honor of my birthday regardless of anyone knowing. I know, and that’s the important thing.
Write Right: Pique, Pick, Peek, and Peak
A reader asked on “Write Right: Complement versus Compliment” that I talk about pique, peek, and peak. I’m happy to comply. I’ve added “pick” both because of its similarity in sound to the other three words and because I need the word to make this post work. Thus is the life at Write Right. Words are added or subtracted because of need or creative direction.