The Uphill Climb

The goals are set, the gathering is done, and the time to get words to paper has not only arrived, it's moving along swiftly.  Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the writing.  Words still aren't on paper, and this is Day #3.

It's my fault.  Or half of this is my fault, the other half was not being pre-prepared.  Yes, that's a new word.  It means that when you know something could happen that will cause need for preparation before starting, some preparation planning (pre-preparing) is called for.  I didn't pre-prepare.  It comes from never having enough faith in myself and thinking the worst.  One more very bad habit I am working hard to change.

I am getting words written, just not on the writing project with solid deadlines.  And while the knowledge that deadlines are met one step at a time is carved into my psyche, life has had a way of playing games with that psyche this week.

For instance, Monday was a day spent gathering.  The things that are part of preparation to write needed to be done, and I hadn't even considered doing them.  A string of rejections was the basis, but the cause was my inability to take action.  I was stymied.

Yesterday afternoon (late) had been targeted for getting caught up.  That meant not only making Day #2 word /page count, but Day #1's, also.  Certainly doable.  But thanks to my car breaking down, leading to a 1 mile walk home from the school with three grandkids, followed by worry of how to get along without car until fixed, I couldn't wrap my mind around anything that resembled the story that needed those words written.  So, okay, that could be remedied on Day #3.

That brings us to today.  Parts of it have been spent on moving said car from breakdown spot to my daughter's driveway, where my son-in-law can take a look at it.  Then there were several calls to the dealership to see if parts were available.  Uh, no, of course not.  It's an older car and part needed was discontinued.  As it turns out, this means there's a major problem, which someone (I hope) is now in charge of.  Someone besides me, that is.

I've now gone from a 4-5 page goal to an 8-10 page goal, and I'm now looking at a 12-15 page goal for today, just to catch up and be on track.  Let's face it, it happens to each and every one of us at one time or another.  I tell myself it's only 15 pages, and I've done that much before without a problem.  And then I tell myself again.  If I keep repeating it enough, as I sit and look at a blank screen, magic could happen.

But waiting for magic could take more time than I have to waste, so it looks like I'll just have to do this one word at a time.  The good that will come out of this is that once a few words are written, others follow more easily.  In time, there will be moments--long ones, even--when they actually flow without pain.

And that's what the uphill climb is all about.  From zero to tens of thousands is definitely a reach, but it's not impossible.  Am I ready for this?  You bet!  Are you ready to work on your goal today?  I hope so.  Let's get started!

"The journey of a thousand miles begins beneath one's feet." - Lao-tzu (corrected translation of the popular "The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.")