January 9, 2022

Now that those pesky holidays are out of the way, I can get to it!

But what, exactly, is it?

I must admit I've been in a bit of limbo the past couple months, trading my time when I should be writing or practicing guitar for doing crossword puzzles. Or napping.

I realized what I needed to do to rectify this slump was to change my routine. For years, I started my day at 4a.m. and wrote. But nothing was more frustrating than having to stop writing to go off to a job I hated. (Granted, I would hate any job. But that's beside the point)

So, since the beginning of the year I've been going to work as soon as I get up at 4. And what a difference it's made. I get the thing I hate most out of the way early, then I'm home by 2p.m. to write, strum, run errands or chill for a few hours until it's time to make dinner. I no longer end the day feeling a load of unfinished tasks weighing me down; I can devote better attention to helping my son with his handwriting or playing Uno (which he's gotten pretty good at) or Chutes-and-Ladders (which can be an exercise in futility).

Time will tell if this produces anything useful. But, if I stay the course with consistent progress, even a few minutes a day, in the end I should find something I can call a win.

Gordon Gravley

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