I resolved to be a better blogger this year. To have a plan. To have a consistent theme to blog on and to write at least once a week. Well. You know what? I have failed to keep to this simple formula. But I am not downcast, here is why.
Firstly, beating yourself up about goals not met is pointless. You waste energy fretting about it rather than being positive about something else. I have not been progressing my second novel in the way that I need to either. Is this a problem? Well from the point of view that it is not getting written yes but it is not my livelihood so a little slippage is ok.
Secondly, my other goals have become more important. Time I would dedicate to writing has been spent being part of a ‘bubble’ during covid. Talking on the phone. Trying to have human contact by remote. Just to keep everyone sane. A point a friend raised with me the other day was that the people that they know who are having the most trouble with the lockdown life are those who have to have a plan. I am coping quite well, it could be that procrastination is the solution to the lockdown heebie geebies. It is a bit groundhog day but it is not too bad.
I have tried to come up with routines and tricks to aid in maintenance of sanity during lockdown. I am lucky, I am working from home and the company I work for still has a decent order book. I may be getting the urge to move on but I am genuinely grateful to be where I am right now. Good company and great colleagues in troubled times, can’t beat it. Working from home has its plus points, one of which is the ability to develop odd habits that make a difference to how in control you feel. A case in point. I don’t get enough exercise, what with the gym being shut and my total inability to take a self-devised workout at home seriously. Also I don’t want to sweat on the carpet. Seriously. My living room would rapidly turn into one of those grim student clubs, all BO and sticky floors. Nice. I also have puny triceps.
Two problems. One solution. Pressups. Hands close together, elbows tight to the body pressups. Every time I get up from my desk during the day I have to do ten pressups. It started with knees on the floor, did I mention I have puny triceps? After a week I had progressed to doing them properly. Then the numbers started to increase. Now I do them with one foot off the floor too. Micro change. Macro result. A simple routine, that for the price of thirty seconds in the hour, has given me a little bit of control and a positive result as well. One way in which I have managed to feel a little less like a gormless sheep in the midst of all these things I cannot do anything about.
Jeremiah Hope 