Wednesday, October 16, 2002

The Philosophy

image About two years ago I started living my life by a new philosophy. One that fits in perfectly with NaNoWriMo.

Basically, if you want to accomplish anything in your life, you’re going to have to start somewhere and you’re going to have to turn off that critic in your head that tells you things like, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” I’m not buying that anymore. My attitude is this: Make a list of the things you want to do and start doing them. Check them off. If you liked it the first time, then go back and do it again and do it well.

I wanted to write a novel. And I hoped to write a great novel. But let’s face it, even though I’m an experienced writer, chances were pretty damn good that my first novel was going to be rather weak. So why pour my soul into it? Why not get the first one out of the way and then either go back and rewrite it entirely or use that experience to go on and write a good novel?

I’m putting this into action in other areas of my life too. I’m in training (well, will restart the training after the knee heals) for the Los Angeles Marathon. I’m not even going to run it. I’m going to walk it. Which might sound like a cop out, but to walk a marathon takes about seven hours. That’s a commitment. And if I like it, maybe I will take up jogging and run it the next year. Or at least I’ll have my little medal and can tell folks that I wanted to be in a marathon, and I was in a marathon.

Lower your expectations. Broaden your horizons.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 10:32 am     NaNoWriMo

Comments
  1. hey!

    I googled playwriting and your site came up first!  Yapreachingtothechoirhere.

    GREAT mind set you have!  Ever check out the back in the day Vernon Howard? some interesting thoughts.
    d

    Comment by Dawn on 5/27/06 at 3:56 am

     

  2. Dude, thats the best philosophy ever! *blinklists this*

    Comment by Mis on 10/08/06 at 1:00 pm

     

  3. A list - brilliant! Since I have had cancer, am on disablity (translate no money) I haven’t given much thought to my dreams. So I am making my list. Will I accomplish them in the time I have left - oh, twenty years or so? Maybe not. But, maybe so! Thanks for the terrific advice.

    Comment by Joyce Wakefield on 10/09/06 at 8:54 am

     

  4. Apparently they have a motto at Apple, “Don’t worry, be crappy.”  Which is to say, they know the software they’re about to put out isn’t perfect, but they also know it’s the coolest thing out there.  Or, as someone else put it, “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”

    xo

    Comment by Juno on 1/16/07 at 4:25 am

     

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During November it's all about me writing a novel. Sometimes it's about whalewatching. You know, and then there's other stuff.