This is me Adapting
Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Daily morning walk with my dog, Zuko.
A few weeks back, I wrote that I’d be posting once per week for the foreseeable future.
It’s been seven weeks. I’ve only shared two posts. It’s not the first time I've publicly committed to a creative output goal, only to have it fizzle out.
I’m learning to not be so hard on myself for these misfires, but I do feel a bit disappointed.
Before making this most recent proclamation, I told a number of friends that I wanted to post short daily pieces of about 250 words. A friend asked if this might be a bit too aggressive, and if one post per week, to start, would make more sense.
He was right and I changed my output goal. But, in making this adjustment, I unintentionally blew the lid off my initial word limit. First post was 3,700-words. Second was about 1,400 words. I've also created five or six drafts, spanning ~1,500-3,000 words each, but haven't been able to follow through on the work required to finish them.
I'm not giving up on this project. But, evidently, it needs recalibration.
Moving forward. I'll limit these pieces to 250-500 words.
I did say, in my first post, that I would allow myself room for adaptation if the format was not serving me. I'm trying to remind myself that it is not “bad” that this happened so soon after kicking off. It just happened. No judgement required.
“I will start by writing and sharing one short piece of writing per week, indefinitely. I’ll begin sharing them on my blog and on Instagram, and see where that takes me, allowing for adaptation to the format if this one ceases to serve me.”
- Me, in that first post
This is me adapting.
My goal with this post was simply to finish and share something, anything, within this new container of ~250-500 words, and to remind myself that there is no torch’n’pitchfork-wielding mob coming to skewer me and burn my remains for not adhering to a goal I’d set for myself.
In the case that I am wrong, I accept my fate and punishment, but please spare and take care of my sweet sweet dog.
It's not his fault!
Zuko care tips for my potential executioners :
- Needs about an hour of exercise each morning. Will be adorable, delightfully dopey, and sleepy the rest of the day.
- Not the best on-leash. Would recommend off-leash park walks.
- Very social! Responds reasonably well to: “Come!”, “Zuko!”, “Come, Zuko!”, “Zuko, come!”, “Zuko, let’s go!”, or three quick whistles.
- You'll want to sprinkle some treats in his food, as he’s a bit of a picky eater.
- Currently in his “teen” phase at 11 months old. Might poop on the floor (or all over your full-length mirror) in the middle of the night. Might not.
- If you’re trying to kick off a new creative project (like writing daily or weekly blog posts, for instance), he’s actually an excellent creative muse. You might find yourself, in your weaker moments, trying to use his daily walks as an excuse as to why you don’t have time to write, but c’mon man, that’s ridiculous.
- Also, he farts a lot. Just did it now.
You’ll get over it.