You vs. the World

So many things are going against you.

Physically you have a splitting headache. Your knees are sore. You can’t lift your arms above your head.

Mentally you’re spent. It’s hard to think of anyone, let alone yourself. If you’re doing anything, it’s a miracle.

Spiritually you’re lost. If God is everywhere, God isn’t here at the moment.

It isn’t the end of the world.

When all is lost, the things that save you will be your habits and routines. This is the reason why we must create tasks that are productive, meaningful, and helpful to others and yourself.

Writing in the Evening

I wanted to write early in the morning. By doing the most important task as soon as I get up, I can feel good in making progress with my work.

Not all goes according to plan. One problem was the time I woke up. Either I was going to go swimming in a few minutes, or I woke up when my family was waking up.

The missed opportunity creates stress.

In the afternoon, I felt I was missing my chance, but I kept my writing elsewhere.

When I got back home, I had the proverbial gun at my head. Do or die.

I do it. Reluctantly. Momentum builds. The ideas begin to flow. I let the hidden mechanism handle the wheel.

The amount of writing isn’t important. The quality counts, yet I won’t complain if I created crap.

The writing is done. A couple of revisions and editing. Then I publish.

I had won. For today.

It’s 10:09pm.

Habits

We are dominated by the things that are done automatically. Changing a habit is hard as walking through 30 centimeters of mud with rain falling like buckets.

To live that better life, we have slug it out at first. We have to bend the light into the direction we want to go.

Big changes usually fail. A frog would quickly get out of a pot of boiling water. Failures can reinforce the habit you want to change more strongly.

Changes are done gradually. A single step, thought, modification is the way to start. Then along with persistence, you change. Yet you may not feel the change happening. This is good since you don’t want to rock the boat.

Before you know it, you’re a changed person. And it happened with small increments.

Routines

A string of habits. With this habit, you taken to another habit. It’s not that much different than a computer program.

When we look at our mornings, afternoons, and evenings, we should see them as different parts of our mechanism. By making the day tangible, change is possible.

Adding a if and then or looping a certain task because the work requires it, we can work smarter than harder.

Strong routines will keep us on the path when the path isn’t visible or makes little sense.

Conclusion

My evening writing routine allowed me to write. I’m not always sure of what comes out, but the time block, the urge, the pain of not doing it, and the expectation of writing and momentum mostly assures me things will be alright.

I would like my writing time done in the morning, along with sketching and other projects. But one step at a time. And keep the gun handy.