Tuesday, July 23, 2013

I'm On It - Kinda

NOTE: If you've been with me for a while, you'll notice that Magnolia Rambling has a new look and feel.  I asked the genius who creates my book covers to design something new for the blog.  Because I only recently realized I'm more limited in that area by Blogger than I realized, I made a couple of changes on my own.  Look out for Magnolia Rambling-related merchandise in the near future.  If I can't put his designs on the site, maybe I can put them in your hand or on your head or your back.  Ramble On....

And now to the post:

I thought I was supposed to be writing more, what with my new found commitment to my blog and the world of writing.  Ha!  [Insert over dramatic eye roll here]

Nope, turns out I'm still living about three weeks behind my intentions and I have no idea how to catch up. That's a lie.  I know how to catch up, I just need to figure out how to prioritize.  Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.  (smile)  It's quite possible, now that I think of it, that I might just have too many mental irons in the fire.  God I hope that happens to you guys, too.  I have no idea how many followers I'm up to now but I'm sure bound to cross over into the low- to mid-range double digits at any point.  Some of you, please, know what I'm talking about.  Right?

Work floods my brain on a regular basis because it's never-ending.  Clients and partners, both internal and external, all want something.  My loving wife would like me to help around the house more without her having to ask.  My child wants me to play chess with him.  My best friend wants to ride motorcycles and hang out with me more often now that he and his family have moved out of the neighborhood.  My literary agent....wait...I don't have one of those. Uh.....how do I put this so it sounds believable and doesn't make me look crazy?  My public?  Too stuffy and presumptuous.  My people?  Dumb.  My fans?  That just sounds wrong.  How about the people who've read my novels?  Simple and easy.  The people who have read my novels and have been so kind to tell me that they loved them (one or both) are asking for book number three.  My editor at Charlatan Magazine , bless him for having to deal with me, waits patiently for me to deliver my latest column.  My dog is chomping at the bit to go for a walk when I stride through the door in the evening.  My gut is waiting on me to master yoga and semi-debilitating ab exercises.

Everybody wants something.

The great thing about my problems (imaginary and completely insignificant in light of the problems we see blasted on TV everyday), is that they can be solved with something as simple as a little pro-activeness. Work is work, and I just have to deal with it.  It keeps the lights on and gas in my motorcycle and the insurance paid on everything from the house to the used car lot that is my driveway.  I am a whiz at the laundry, but I could do more to help my wife than I do now (especially without being prompted).  I abhor chess, but it makes my child happy, so I can ask him to sit down and 'teach' me - it will make him happy, and it will make me happy to see him smile.  I don't have a night job anymore, so there's nothing holding me back from scooping up my best friend and riding to a local bike night.  I promise to any of my public/people/fans/people who have read my novels that I will at least start number three in 2013.  (wink, wink)  I will work to try and submit my column before my editor's deadlines, and I will gladly walk my 90-something pound Black Lab because it makes him happy...and he poops in the woods and not in my back yard.  I am no longer talking to my abs, and that's all I have to say about that.

Listen, you hear people say all the time that you should slow down and smell the roses.  Sure, give that a try. You'll find yourself three weeks behind just like I have.  I think the real key is to stop, maybe look at the roses and acknowledge they exist, maybe smelling one or two, and then getting the hell back in the game or on the road, or whatever analogy you want to use.

At some point in the next year, we are going to be moving.  I can't imagine the stress that is going to cause in my life, in my wife's life, and even in my child's life.  The painting, the schlepping things to storage, the garage sale(s), the drama of showing the house and keeping it obsessively-compulsively clean every day, shipping my dog off to his original home to avoid scaring prospective buyers, and on and on.  Now is the time for me to work on my pro-activeness, to live in it, and to make it part of my every day routine.  What are you putting off, or thinking about doing tomorrow?  Why can't it be done today?  Why can't it be completed today?  If you want examples of what not to do, come to my house and look at my unfinished projects. You'll still be a procrastinator, but you'll probably feel better about yourself.  LOL!

I'm sure my wife will be loving this post, but also watching my every step.  I've put it in PRINT! (gasp!)  I've got to carry my weight on this one.  Maybe I'll come up with a project a week and write you all to give you the updates, let you know how it's coming along, and when I've finished said task, ready to move on to the next item on my list.  Come to think of it, that's a splendid idea.

I'll think about it and get back to you.  Maybe tomorrow.