Let's Talk: Unrelenting Standards

Let's talk about unrelenting standards. Yours, not mine.

Did it ever occur to you that I am operating to the best of my ability given the flawed training?

I just happen to subscribe to a philosophy that enables me to do the best I can with what I have where I am.

I showed up.
I contributed.

Of course, it was not enough.
Can't say I agree with being undermined before really given a chance.

Might explain the high staff turnover.
Might explain that being unique is not a requirement.

Truth is, I can never be assimilated into a culture of unrelenting standards.
Perfectionism at it's extreme destroys morale. Mine, theirs and eventually yours.

Sharing Wisdom from Julia Cameron

Writing is alchemy. Writing that poem, moving out of that
cramped and cerebral space of bitterness into the capacious heart,
I am no longer a victim, an enemy, an injured party.

I am what I am: a writer.

Writing is medicine. It is appropriate antidote to injury.
It is an appropriate companion for any difficult change.

Writing about the change, we can help it along, lean into it, cooperate.

Writing allows us to rewrite our lives.

Thanks Julia Cameron.

...
I believe this to be true.

This writer's need to read

You've heard the cliche that reading is like breathing.
I concur. Wholeheartedly.

Although not all would agree with this. Being immersed in words, literature, the exchange of ideas and thoughts is therapeutic. It's cathartic. It's necessary.

Some might say it's escapism. True, could be viewed as such.

I'd be the first to admit picking up a book is definitely preferable to some social experiences.

As a child, I had many questions. In those days, there was not much access to finding answers simply by asking. I was shushed a lot for thinking out loud.
It was a time when children were seen and not heard.

Books gave me solace. They enabled my learning. Provided answers to deep questions. Offered explanations, helped me find meaning.

Sure, some reading is for pure entertainment.
Somewhere to unwind and get lost in. Stories allow us to process feelings, wonderment and can offer hope or explore the darker side of the human condition.

As a voracious reader, there is never such thing as enough books.
My home is filled with literature.

I love this quote by Jorge Luis Borges: "I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library".

I second that motion. What are you reading currently?

My small stack of readables includes: The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, Welcome to Your Crisis by Laura Day, The Laws of Lifetime Growth by Dan Sullivan and Catherine Nomura.

Open on my e-reader: Linchpin by Seth Godin and The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

Finding the time to write

We all lead very busy lives these days. Mine is no exception.

When do you write? First thing in the morning? Before bedtime?

I tend to write whenever the urge strikes me. I have that ever handy-dandy notebook in my purse. I have a series of notebooks in every room in my house. I always have a pen clipped to my shirt (a habit I acquired while at work). My favourite pen is the Pilot P-500, extra fine point gel pen.

In order to insure it does not wander off in the hands of a co-worker or patient, I have this method of guaranteeing it never leaves my person. Somewhat reminiscent of the grocery clerk who always had a pencil tucked over his ear (a very 70's thing, perhaps).

Nothing's worse for this writer than to be without pen in hand.
Inspiration strikes when it does. On the job, in the bookstore, while standing in line at the grocery store, while eating sushi in my favourite sushi joint (which btw is August8). Often, it's the middle of the night, or after a particularly image filled dream, that I need to capture it and write it down before it leaves me.

For the longest time, I devoted myself to 1000 words a day. I've abbreviated that routine due to lifestyle choices these days. Maybe it's an excuse, but I prefer to see it as an adjustment.

I'm writing more focused snippets these days.
One day I will compile and edit.

One step at a time works for me. There's plenty of time to have all my ideas incubate. In the meantime, I find irregular writing routines work best.

And you? What's your process for daily writing routines while balancing a day job?