Variables and How To Deal With Them

RIGHT! I’m up, pumped and ready for a new week.

Let’s start this with a short and sweet post to get the blood flowing.
(Says the guy coughing up a lung, with a fever and in the dark of his office at 2:12pm...)
By now I’m seeing the extensive work this is going to take to accomplish my Wanted Hero World goals. It is turning out to be harder than I thought.
Much, much....much-much-much harder.
It’s the variables that are getting to me.
Not that it’s complicated. It’s not. I’m a pretty organized guy when it comes to writing and the resources are being cranked out, as I knew they could. No, the first challenge is the sheer volume of specific content that must be produced for each book in my series...and right now, I’m only able to maintain a minimum number of posts a day instead of the personal desire I had in mind.
Is that bad?

No.

At least not for me. I think I'm making exceptional progress when it comes to a personal best.
Question is—will I be able to meet the goal of launching on Black Friday this year?
Then I have to say that I’m physically and emotionally tired. Now, before you jump to any conclusions, this is actually a good thing—because I’m exercising!
(insert Rocky music here)
That’s right—as sick as I may be, I’m making a consistent effort to work with my weights in the effort to shift my energy levels. The side effect is that as my body begins to adjust, I’m tired, which is affecting my ability to focus.
Bad focus means bad writing. Bad writing means suffering results and I see the WHW goals drifting from me.
Not good.
To top it all off—my computers are showing serious signs of wear and hints of rebellion.
(Come on Apple--I spend small fortunes with you so this DOESN'T happen...)
I’m well overdue to have them all replaced—but again, can’t afford it...yet. If money comes in from side jobs, it goes to mortgage first, food second, then utilities on down the priority list. If my darling wife and little ones need for anything, computers won't see a penny.
You see how my mind works?
Variables.
So how do we deal with these variables? I don’t know what you may be struggling with, BUT...(and I assure you, with me, it’s always a BIG butt...) there are some things to remember.

You Are More Than You Think You Are

This is key. Variables will happen each and every day.
You cannot control them all.
You can, however, influence them, endure them and even ignore them.
Just don’t forget your anniversary or your wife’s birthday.
YOU made these goals. You also did it for a specific set of reasons.
THINK about those. Get that motivation bubbling in your mind and chest once more.
This IS going to work.
Why?
Because you were made to do this.
Don’t believe it. KNOW it.

Make Sure You Have Your TO DO Lists

I expressed in a previous post the importance of To Do Lists.
Don’t leave anything to chance, not when variables start poking their nasty booger-covered fingers into the food on your plate.
Keeping a strong focus on what steps you must take will help you. It'll give you a level head when things hit your hard.
Make your decisions upfront and do the most important things first. That doesn’t mean the easiest first, it literally means the MOST important.
Use paper. I know this might sound archaic to some of you but try it.
My #1 tool is WorldAnvil, don't get me wrong--but even Dimitris and the famous tech team have paper lists SOMEwhere. I've seen it on stream!
Rip a section of paper from a notebook and keep it with you throughout the day. Place it in your pocket, pin it in front of your desk, tap it to your computer console.
Just try it.

Don’t Wait

If you get hit with a variable that you can’t do anything about, leave it. Move on.
Now, not later.
Don’t fuss over the problems—because there are no problems, only challenges.

Don’t wait for other people either.

I know that might be hard when I don’t know what your goals are—but if there’s anything you can do personally, focus on that instead.
Make sure that if this is to fail, it won’t be from a lack of follow-through on your part. Trust me when I say that point alone is a mental and emotional saving grace.
There are slow people, cruel people, dishonest people and stupid ones to boot. That’s ok. I'm not even TALKING about them. I'm talking about well-intentioned, unfortunately, unable to fulfill their part people.
It happens. It's OKAY.
Keep going and push yourself.

The KEY is PERSISTENCE

If I can impart anything in this post that will stick in your mind, the first would be to keep going.
Personally I don’t believe in luck. I believe in striving to do the right thing for the right reasons and pushing myself, staying persistent despite the circumstances.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes not so much. Many times I fall flat on my face. Hurts like hell too. But it’s then that I remember what my dear father taught me back when I was young and violence was a constant in my life.

Get up ONE more time than you get knocked down.
When you think you can’t take another step, take one anyway.
...and when you can't find your way, then you go back to the last point when you knew you were on the right path and DON'T MOVE!!! STAND YOUR GROUND AGAINST EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING!
You WAIT. You LISTEN. You PREPARE--until the Universe shows you where to step next."

— Jaime's Dad

(Thank You, Dad.)
If you can learn to do that, you’ll carve out your own luck.

Challenge Your Limits

The second thing would be to challenge yourself.
Hopefully your goal is such that it keeps you up at night and wakes you up first thing in the morning. I know mine does for me.
My days start promptly at 4am (used to be 3am, but I'm gettin' old and need more sleep). They go until 6pm with bathroom breaks unless I miss a deadline, then I work later.
Never work Sundays. No exceptions.
Is this worth it? Absolutely.
Is it hard? Most definitely.
Know what I say to the odds against me? To all the people who look at me and say this can't be done? To all the critics and Nay Sayers of my life, inCLUDING that nasty little voice that occasionally surfaces from the back of my own brain?
BRING...IT...ON!
I hope that helps you in your own struggles with the variables in life.
Don’t get discouraged, because that's losing sight of your goal. There’s no need to get discouraged. You’re bigger than these challenges.
Goodness, I know I am.
But it’s all love and handsomeness. (wink)
See you tomorrow. =)

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