Rest Day
More Like Space Cadet Day…
Just no focus, so I didn’t fight it. Got about 7 miles of exercise, did some email, cooked dinner, ate too much.
Started two different projects, both got “oh squirreled” in short order.
Didn’t even bother with turning on my writing computer.
Walked twice down to our office before realizing I hadn’t put my Fitbit on.
I hate waiting for this election. Too damn distracting.
(I won’t let political comments through, I am just saying…)
So off to watch a Holiday Romance Movie on Lifetime… My brain might be up for that.
9 Comments
Greg P
Thanks to your advice, I spent my rainy afternoon watching Christmas Unwrapped. I felt guilty with the TV on during the day (I actually watched at my desk so I felt like I was “working”) but I got over it after about ten minutes.
Great movie! Appreciate the tip!
dwsmith
Yeah, that movie was sort of a surprise. I watched one last night that was the old Mel Gibson plot of an ad guy being able to read other people’s thoughts, but this one was a woman, same type of character, same ad person as the Mel Gibson character, but given the ability by one of Santa’s Elves who sort of stole the movie every time he appeared. I had to grit my teeth a bit at the start because they really made her unlikeable. But turned out fun.
Kate Pavelle
If you have another Space Cadet Day, Netflix has “The Queen’s Gambit” in miniseries. I was afraid they would dumb it down and skirt serious issues – but they didn’t. Scott and I wil be binge-watching that one!
Peggy
“…I didn’t fight it.”
Yes, just YES. Some days are like that – foggy, unfocused, distracted – and sometimes, it’s best not to push yourself too hard.
Obviously, if you have too many days like that in a row – absent some valid medical/psychological reason – you might want to have a think about WHY you’re having so many days like that. But if you’re normally satisfied with your productivity level, and just occasionally have a case of the “don’ts” – then don’t. This, I think, is self-care at its best.
For me, I had set aside the last two weeks of this month NOT to write, as I was working the polls during early voting. Things Happened(tm), and I worked my last day of early voting this past Sunday. My brain’s not really kicking back into gear yet, and that’s okay. I’ll start up again this weekend, after early voting ends.
Thank you for this common-sense reminder!
Leigh Kimmel
Unfortunately, there are a lot of people in that position right now, including myself. I’m to the point I’m tired of waiting for the next shoe to drop. I just want it to be over. If it’s going to pass like a kidney stone, let’s get it over and done with instead of all these days and weeks of gut-clenching dread.
Philip
.You’re fond of saying how very few (or “nobody”) will follow most of your advice. You’re correct. I’m one of those people who’s read your books, taken workshops and lectrues, and read this blog daily and has yet to scratch the surface of implementing your advice from decades of an actual writing CAREER and not a five-year stint as a cyber marketer pretending to be a writer.
Well, I finally had my breakthrough.
My father died last week, a couple weeks after his 69th burthday. He bravely battled lung cancer for 3 months. Well, that did it. I’m tired of being afraid to write and publish stories — lousy little fun stories — when I just saw my dad stare death in the eye like a man.
I’m giving myself until his funeral next week, then I’m commencing with Heinlein’s rules. Cliches are often true: life is way, way too short.
dwsmith
Oh, wow, Philip, very sorry to hear that. But sadly, sometimes it does take a life event to shove us over the top and to where we want to be.
So now keep the writing fun, the publishing fun, honor your father by enjoying what you are doing. You do that and the rest will fall into place in time.
C.E. Petit
My own quasi-political comment, that I’m hoping Our Gracious Host will allow through:
Vote. That’s how you thank veterans for our service, because we all signed up to support the Constitution — a government adopted to ensure representation, among other values (remember “No Taxation Without Representation”? that slogan is the tip of the iceberg, and actually reading Revolution-era stuff makes most “political thrillers” look extremely tame).
Voting is a duty and a privilege. So VOTE-two-three-four-ICAN’THEARYOU… (admittedly, the “two-three-four” is more Chicago politics than anything else). Then down and give me 25 pages — that’s 20 for me and five for the Union.
dwsmith
Only political thing I ever say on this blog is to go vote. Period. You don’t vote and you can, you can’t complain. It really is that simple.