Moving forward

I’ll keep this short. Mostly. After all, time is money, right?

The part of the USA where I live experienced a big change in the cost of living. It wasn’t for the positive. (I’ll save the political rant for another time and place.)

Since my primary employment wasn’t able to carry my lifestyle, I had to take on a second job. I now work about 75 hours a week, in addition to commute times. (When one job gives me a day off, I end up working the other one. …usually.)

I don’t have nearly as much time to write and code when I want. I managed to get a Saturday with no work scheduled. I decided that was the day to break my pattern. I am pleased to present the results of a test.

In the past, I have shown myself to have issues with ‘self-discipline’. I admit it. I’ve even written about it a few times on this blog.

This time, I decided to work on something when I wasn’t ‘feeling it’. It was slow going, at first. I’m not going to lie. It was rough. But I was able to get a rhythm going and bang-out 5,000 words on one project, and 600 in another, in six hours. I asked around, and the general feeling is that this is a good pace. I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue at that pace, but I’m attempting it.

I don’t see myself having long stretches available like that, very often. I am making time to work some of my projects with the intent of getting them ready to share.

I’ll put in an hour a day toward my projects… notably, toward a specific visual novel… one of my smaller projects. I don’t have a name for it, yet.

There will be days where I won’t have the time or energy. I’m ready to accept that. I am making an effort.After the hours on Saturday, I put in another hour+ on Sunday after work. Tonight, I’m writing this blog post and heading to sleep ‘early’. Tomorrow, I will work on the visual novel since I expect to be rested.

It will be done. I’m not going to settle for ‘plan to’… I’m doing it. I’m making this happen, even in a ‘creative lull’. I can do it. I will do it. I am doing it.

(Hooray for pep-talks?!)

— Cam