Goals Summary 2023 – Wk #37

I’m thinking a lot about symbols today. Obviously, symbols are important in writing – they offer subtext and deeper meaning to the story told on the surface of the page. But symbols are important in our daily lives too, and today I’ve found myself tripping over a lot of symbolism. I’m feeling a bit mired today, low energy and with a sciatica flare up that has me stiff and sore. But I promised myself that 11a-2p on Mondays is writing time. So I stepped into my office and was met with the physical manifestation of my psyche. 

I haven’t truly cleaned my office since we got the house back. Boxes of bathroom supplies, hampers of blankets, and a box of keepsakes from my last job pretty much stuffed any and all floorspace. There was a path to my desk chair and that was it. Even getting to my house plants to water them was a chore. 

Something I love had become a chore, because I wasn’t willing or able to clear out the space to make it easy. Hmmmmmm. 

So, the first hour of my writing session is over, and I can walk in my office again. It isn’t perfect, there’s still some items that need assessing and organizing, but I can breathe again. The air literally feels lighter, clearer. The room feels brighter, despite the cloudy day. 

And now I’m here, at the computer, ready to work. I don’t feel excited about that work. I don’t feel hopeful. But I am committed to it all the same. That’s another hard truth about a writing life: there are bad days. Days when you want or need to call in sick, and days where you convince yourself to power through. 

And sometimes those days outnumber the exciting, soul-enriching good days. 

Now, on the cusp of the second of my three writing hours, I’m here to catch you up on my goals. For better or worse.