The past few weeks have been a blur. It's been emotionally draining and rewarding at the same time. First, I finally got around to launching my Science News and Education blog, sciencescenes.com. Shortly thereafter, I launched the same facebook page. In order to do both, I needed to get over my fears. I needed to humble myself and just take action. For once, I needed to stop overthinking and just create.
On top of these two actions I took towards my creative side-hobby, I also have been busy battling some sort-of cold or flu like virus. This pathogen has not just knocked me on my butt, but has also taken my wife and two children out of commision at various points this week. If you think having two sick kids under the age of four is bad, try being two sick parents trying to care for two healthy kids under the age of four. Not only that, but both kiddos have been waking multiple times either due to sickness and/or nightmares. The other night, I found myself on 2 and a half hours of sleep.
Because of the lack of sleep, my willpower and weight loss endeavors have been totally put on hiatus. I am finally turning the corner, so I will have to begin again on Monday.
Overall, things are looking up. However, no I have this personal blog as well as the science blog to take care of, and I do not have the confidence in my writing yet to not just stare at the blank page. Which is all the more reason to just start writing. I was already thinking of creating a promise to myself that I would reach a daily word count every day during my waking hours, but it was solidified today while listening to one of my favorite podcasts, “After Things”.
http://weirdthings.com/2016/01/after-things-beater-eaters/
After Things is the after show podcast of a second podcast I also enjoy, Weird Things. During “After Things”, magicians Andrew Mayne and Brian Brushwood join their creative Justin Robert-Young discuss their creative and entrepreneurial endeavours. At the end of every After Things show, the three each pick one item which has inspired their creativity or business acumen for the week.
Andrew recommended “The Power of Habit” again this week, after Brian reccomended it previously. Andrew discussed how, using the power of habit, he decided to set a goal to write 2,000 words a day. Ever since he began working on this goal, he has met this habit daily and it has increased his creative output. He has written more than a handful of book along with various lesser writing words. He claims a friend of his made a similar goal and shortly afterwards, this person ended up with a full length self-help book.
Now, to paraphrase many writers, the only way to become a better writer is to write. I am not doing enough writing at the moment. I am not getting better at it. It is holding me back from creating. I need to write better, in order to have the confidence to write more, and I need to write more to write better.
I know I do not have the number of free hours in a day that Andrew has. I work as an educator with two little kids and need to take work home with me. I cannot work during my job hours. I can only really write after the kids go to bed.
So 2000 words is out of the question for me. However, I can set a smaller goal. I hereby pledge to write at least 500 words a day. I will not always be on this blog. I might be on my science blog. Or it might be on some other projects I have started during this most recent creative itch I have had. But let’s get writing.
Day 1. Way Done! Well Done.
-P
