What is the Thing?: 500 Word a Day – Day 6
I’m heading out to Hong Kong and Malaysia tomorrow morning, which might sound exotic and enviable but I’ve been doing this flight every 45 days for the last 18 months so it’s in the habit phase (who gives a shit). I stay engaged by figuring out ways to pack more efficiently and to have snacks for all the times when I would normally catch myself missing Trader Joe’s.
I’ll be filming a lot. So I’m charging right now. Every outlet in my apartment is ocupado as I do the job of 3 people simultaneously – photo, video, and audio. You have to make yourself valuable.
I’m thinking today, and last night, that it’s time to figure out how I want to spend my time. I just sold my yoga studio and figured that would lighten my work load. But I added 3 projects since then and probably have more to do now than before. I romanticize the idea of simplifying and then shit all that nonsense out and get to work in as many unrelated activities as possible. ADHD. That’s how I’ve justified it previously. But where am I going?
Work in a circle sweep. Touch many things lightly for brief periods of time and then move on. Touch them enough and the circle gets smaller. Touch them so much and so often the circle becomes a point. Allegedly.
“What does it take to get you to do something?”
This isn’t a dialogue – I’m asking you.
But I did ask my friend this question. She thought about it for a while.
“That’s a good question. I guess the need to do it.”
Motivated by need. That’s nice and primal.
“Have you ever found one thing that you could stick to for more than a month and still enjoy it?”
That was the second question. To which she could only answer one thing.
I needed to walk from my office to my bedroom the other night. Like 10 feet. Just because I wanted to draw. I have a work space for computers and digital and my robot Amazon machine that is my voice activated personal assistant but I also have a desk in my bedroom with only a lamp and a drawing pad and some pencils. It’s where I draw, write, and sit to think.
I just needed to walk from my office to my bedroom to sit at my desk and I had to grab 4 things before I could go – water bottle, journal, cell phone, and a book. As it turns out, I can’t go 10 feet without bringing all items I could possibly use.
So this has now been identified as problem, like I don’t like it anymore. Because it makes me feel heavy. Because it makes it impossible not to freak out when I don’t have all my things.
I have a journal for my thoughts I have a journal for ideas for movie scenes I have a journal for my meditation notes I have a journal for my to-do list. I write in all of them every day.
I’m tired. I want to feel light. To be OK if I don’t have 8oz of water for every 1 hour I’ll be away from a purified water source.
I want to still be able to be your friend if you don’t stack your shoes parallel to the baseboard when you come over.
What is your 1 thing that you can do and not get sick of? I think mine is writing.
