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Just got back from Dinner with friends. Jim, Joan, and their kiddo were one of the groups of friends that we never seemed to get to see. We went on vacation with them this summer, but it was the first we’d seen each other in ages. So we made a resolution to try and see each other more. It had that feel to it of New Year’s resolutions that you make, but don’t keep. Good intentions with no follow through. Their schedule is about as insane as ours, so it was hard to get together. I called them, got Joan, suggested we all meet for dinner one month. In fact, I suggested we try to get together once a month and all have dinner. We’ve actually managed it every month except one since we came up with the idea. The problem was, that I, as usual, tried to be too ambitious. I kept waiting for us to have time to visit for a day, or at least an afternoon. But to get all our schedules open enough to do that, well, it just wasn’t happening. So I scaled back. I decided it was better to have a shorter visit more often than try to schedule a big visit and never get it. Sometimes a little bit of what you want, is better than holding out for all of what you want, and never getting it. It’s a lesson that I’m only now learning. I guess, some lessons are harder than others.
I did six pages today of the new chapter for THE HARLEQUIN. I made notes for the next two scenes. Those of you who have read the blog for awhile know that here too, on the page count, I usually beat myself up if I don’t do at least eight pages a day. Well, you know what, somedays there is simply no way to do it. I’ve scaled down to my page count of years ago, four pages minimum. If I get more than that, great, but I need at least that. Four pages is doable. It’s a goal that I can sit down at the computer no matter how tired, or not feeling well, and I can screw my courage to the sticking point and say, four pages, I can do that. Eight would seem too much, but four is doable. It also gives me permission to stop for the day before I’m exhausted. Now, sometimes the muse is in full swing and we laugh at only four pages, but the muse and I are a little tired lately. Or maybe distracted with all the different projects. Whatever the cause, scaling down makes both me and my imagination feel better. Maybe here, too, less is more. Trying for less and achieving it, is better than trying for a lot and failing. Because the failure starts a whole line of bad stuff in my head. Succeeding, is simply a more positive thing to do than failing. Sounds so simple, but sometimes the simple lessons are the hardest to grasp.