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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Win the Lottery or Buy an Alarm Clock?

If you don't take something seriously then all you have left is luck.  I don't know about you but I haven't been winning any lotteries lately so I'm not depending too heavily on luck.  Instead I depend on my alarm clock.  Writing isn't an easy business but it's a fantastic hobby.  Trouble is, I don't want another hobby.  I've got the remnants of those tucked in various nooks and drawers.  No writing for me is a business and it's work.  Every morning.  I've been easier on myself since the weather got cooler - 6:30 a.m. instead of 6:00 - hey, it's not much of a break but it's something. 

Discipline is the tool that gets us to the job on time, as does the threat of firing if we don't arrive.  The same for a writer, just a slightly different spin.  There's no boss hovering over the cubicle.  But the next contract won't happen if the book isn't written.  Nor will it happen if the next book isn't written well.  And while I'd like to think my characters arrive at their destination through no will of mine - or literally by chance, I know that's not the case. I've got to choreograph and direct the action.  And no one else is going to do it for me.

It's like that with anything in life.  You want to take your career in another direction, another level.  It takes discipline to get there because no one cares more than you whether you succeed or not.  It takes discipline to keep pushing forward - to succeed.

But enough talk about discipline and time to put it into action, I have some writing to do.  But before I take off and do what I set the alarm clock for the question is - who has the discipline and/or talent to create this fantastic skull face?  Hey, Halloween is around the corner and you can only talk about discipline for so long. 

And in case that's not for you, here's some more pre-Halloween fun - if you should feel so disposed click on Boo-ography.

Or did you have a thought or two about the discipline of chance?   Or are you just plain lucky?

Ryshia
Halloween Contest - For All Time
www.ryshiakennie.com
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7 comments:

  1. I think it is difficult to train or discipline yourself...so to speak...to wait for chance or to allow chance to help you through life...

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  2. Discipline is tough. I fail at it many days but it's also brought some success. Maybe it's a combination of the two - chance and discipline...

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  3. Unfortunately, I'm not all that lucky, either, so I have to depend on the will to survive as a writer to make me disciplined. I'll tell you, though, some days even the will needs a push.

    Great post.

    Lisa G.

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  4. Thanks Lisa - it amazes me how some days writing is so easy and some days - it's work.

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  5. I don't really believe in luck... I think it is more like Karma or destiny

    -Brandy
    brandyzbooks@yahoo.com

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  6. Hi Brandy - destiny, a topic or two or three unto itself. Is destiny all you need? I think it might be both discipline and destiny - if you don't do the work do you still fulfill your destiny? - I'm not so sure. Questions. Questions. Anyone?

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  7. Wow i watched the whole skull face video. I always have to push myself to do things in the winter.It is hard to find motivation when it is cold.

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