When there is no dark side...

The oldest foe of humanity has to be the demon of time management.  It stalks the wasted minutes and hours of our lives.  Temples are built for its glory and those few souls who struggle to capture the beast are more often than not left wounded and disoriented from their encounter.

Some say it is not worth fighting, "Ignore the creature and he will ignore you.  Just go about your business and hope it does not notice you and attempt to devour you."

Other say, "He is a gentle beast, tamed with the lightest whisper."

Then their are those who truly frighten me who say, "Submit to the demon as your lord and master.  Allow him to dictate every facet of your life.  You will be better for it."

In my life, I have been all of these people, but the work has become increasingly difficult.

The Compromise

"Demon! You will tell me what is required from me, and I will tell you what is a benefit to me, and what is a curse."

It's admittedly not the best plan, but it is one that has worked for a while.  I look at the mountain of To do's, and I do a pros and cons list.  What is the upside and what is the downside?  Focusing on the items with the most upsides in my benefit if completed or the most downsides if left undone, I was able to tame the beast for quite some time.

Then it found a new angle to attack me from.  Projects started cropping up that inevitably balanced on the scales.  The system broke.

The decision rests with you...

From a slobbering brute who assailed me with fears, doubts, and risk, the demon morphed into Klaatu from The Day the Earth Stood Still, except both paths it offered offer the same benefits and the same risks,  and there is not enough time or energy available to me to accomplish both simultaneously.  Then with a cleaver grin the beast said, "The decision rests with you."

None of my tricks work anymore, and thw quandry makes my head swim in so many directions that I don't know where to go or what to do.

This is not untraveled ground for me.  It is a path that I know all too well.  I continually find myself in these predicaments.

In a limitless world, you are your only limit.

As I have said many times, the blessing and curse of the modern era is that anything is possible.  With so many possibilities it is hard to figure out which way to go, what path to go down.

So here I am.  The schedule is packed.  Between the podcasts, blogging, and novel requirements I have little to no time to turn around and see what I should do or where I should go.  None of it is an easy decision.  I feel guilty when I neglect any of these projects and I love and enjoy doing all of them.

How do I get out of here?

Well, part of it seems easy, and the rest fills me with fear and trepidation.

I have two stories wrestling in my head, and I am going to do the only thing I can: work on both of them.  I am going to post the ideas as they develop on this site, and grow them toward the novels they could become.  As for everything else, I am just going to have to let go.

I have been afraid to watch Merlin out of fear that it would spawn a new podcast from dashPunk.  If it does it does.  I am just going to have to do as much as I can.

To quote Queensryche:

The art of life is ...
without rushing, without faltering, unraveling the secrets of knowledge.
We must challenge and defeat our four natural enemies;
Fear.
Clarity of mind.
Power and the desire to rest.