There's an old joke that says the opposite of congress is progress.
Ha-ha. Progress is on my mind though.
So, I'm a creative guy. You know this, because you're here, reading my blog, and my projects are a major part of what I talk about on here.
But I have a lot of things "in progress" at the moment. Let's see:
- I've lost over 50 pounds on the keto diet, and want to lose somewhere between 40-50 more.
- I'm getting my personal finances in better shape.
- I've got a small company that's building a software product.
- I've got a patreon, where I'm writing short illustrated and narrated fiction.
- I'm working on my third novel, which will soon be released-in-progress on the patreon.
- I'm beginning to release my narrated, illustrated fiction in a new format, as movies.
- I'm learning new technologies at my day job.
- I'm polyamorous, and working hard to be fully present in my relationships.
Boy, that sounds like a lot. That's because it is a lot. Some days, I'm wrung out from it. I get stuck in a sort of analysis paralysis, unsure of what to do next, what resources I have, what to do when the tank is empty.
I stumbled across this great video by Simon Alexander Ong, about making progress your focus.
In a way, it's a rehash of something I am constantly telling other people. Don't focus on the wall you're building, focus on the brick you're laying. Lay it perfectly. If it's not right, pick it up, adjust it, start over with that brick, whatever. (And I'm talking about a wall like the Great Wall, a metaphorically overwhelming in scale project, not that travesty you-know-who keeps blathering about.)
When I was a kid, my dad taught me one of the most important lessons of my life, to measure success by motion, not by destination. You can be 1 step on your path, or 1,000. Your path can change, alter course. It most likely will, in fact. Doesn't matter. As long as you keep going, you're doing just fine.
I had this big obstacle I crashed right into about two weeks ago. My patreon got suspended for violating their guidelines. I worked feverishly to figure out how, and do something about it. Then, when I didn't hear from them, sought out other venues for my work. It was a frustrating yet ultimately beneficial experience. I learned a bunch of things about where an erotica author can publish, what they can publish, and how. And that knowledge is going to be helpful to me down the line. And I had support, so much support. Friends and family consoled me, offered me guidance, helped me find options. I am so very loved and supported in my work, by so many.
Thankfully, my patreon got reinstated. The changes I made put me back in compliance, and I'm good to go. I'm not going to lie when it first happened, it was crushing to me. Even that pain and suffering (much of it self-inflicted) taught me things about myself, my efforts, my patterns of behavior and self-judgment, what's important to me, what my underlying reasons are for even doing much of what I do.
Targets change. They move. But it's the travel towards them that helps me know I'm alive.
Listen, you and me, dear reader, we're the same. Human animals, with only some grasp of what it is we're actually doing as we move through life.
Keep going, okay? Because it feels good.