Over the weekend I did my best to stay away from my desk and computer. Even though I've been exercising regularly, I get constant problems with my low back and right (mouse-holding) arm, all the way up to my neck. These things clear up pretty quickly when I'm off in some foreign land, exploring, without the stress of business. I seem to get all worked up and focused while I am writing technical stuff. You can't just pace around and hope that inspiration hits you like in fiction; you have to read the references, analyze, think logically, and come up with something new or better-written.
I've been pretty much heads-down working on this book for over two months, and the weight of knowing there is so much more to do has carried into the weekends, and I have dome some work here and there on a Saturday or Sunday, but mostly thinking about the project endlessly has worn me out. And there was the hectic six months or so on the first book -- which still has some lingering details I keep having to take care of. Today.
Henry Miller wrote in Tropic of Cancer, that he wished there was some way to take "the machine" (typewriter) with him, since some of his best thoughts seemed to come while he was away from it. Well, today, there are a myriad of options. But writing is not dictating, or just thinking, it is sitting down and hitting the keys, or writing thoughts out. Until they come up with a machine that can type out your thoughts, (which I understand is not far off). Imagine writing by just thinking! That will be the best!
Mark Twain said in his autobiography that it is impossible to write a biography of a man's life, since his life really is made up of the thousands of thoughts that pass through his head daily. I have to say, I entertain myself so much all day with constant humorous thoughts that, well, according to Mark Twain, I'm having a pretty good life. If people only knew what swims around in my head! Someday, maybe I will get closer to getting it down on paper. A writer friend I know who laughs uncontrollably at some of the things I say tells me that in my fiction writing, I'm still holding back, not unleashing the raw humor that I can in person, spontaneously. I have to work on that more (but you have to have a story line too!).
I've been watching the series Mad Men on Netflix, which is set in the early 1960s on Madison Avenue. I love it. It delves into the world of business, especially the NYC advertising business, and its portrayal shows you just how different things have become in the work environment over the past 50 years or so.
The men and women in the offices are almost always lighting up a cigarette. Doctors used to endorse it. Doctors used to smoke in their offices--while with patients! Mothers even smoked at home in front of the kids, which would probably end them up in jail these days for child cruelty.
So I got to thinking about how hard my father worked, but how he left at 7:30 a.m. and was home by 5:30 p.m., unless he was traveling (where he sat in the back and drank and smoked on the plane), and didn't do any office work to speak of once he was home, and all weekend.
Just think: no email, no voice mail, not even typing--the secretaries did all that.
The working people of yesteryear would not recognize today's work environment. We are swamped in messages and information, and can hardly get away from it.
I am thinking that as wrong-headed as many things were in the 60's, one thing they had right was they rested, took a break, separated work and home life. The business world could use more of that today, but I fear there is no turning back. Yes, I'm certain of it.
So how do you deal with this daily, hourly incursion of interruptions and information? Well,.you can do like I do (once I'm done writing these books!) which is to use these technological advances for your advantage, and to be able to travel and live and work anywhere. I've worked from Mexico for the better part of five years, but also from San Francisco and Las Vegas and D.C., and have even gotten some work done while I have been traveling in Panama, Europe, and even Cuba (yes, I was able to log in over a slow connection from a state-monitored computer in a hotel lobby).
The ability to work irrespective of time and space is the ideal work situation, and today's tools allow that and provide more freedom for those who work hard to pursue it. But there is a lot of work to getting it set up; you have to make sacrifices and trade-offs as you slowly remove yourself from a physical work environment to a virtual one. It is well worth it, and many are following this path. It's my contention that nearly every job has some angle that allows it to be done online. If you are a car repair person, you may have to have a fix-it or diagnostic manual ghost-written to sell online, and maybe set up a toll-free hotline for second opinions or advice. If you are a teacher, you can create course materials for home-schooled students, or hold video tutoring via Skype, GoToMeeting or other remote communication tools. If your expertise is supply chain management, you can offer consulting services online. If you are a journalist, it's easy - just research and write online. If you have some kind of special expertise, some hard thinking and work and some help from others can get allow you to build an online source of income.
You may not get away from the machine, but at least you will get away from your desk or office building, and you can break up your workday into a more non-linear, fulfilling life experience.
I've been pretty much heads-down working on this book for over two months, and the weight of knowing there is so much more to do has carried into the weekends, and I have dome some work here and there on a Saturday or Sunday, but mostly thinking about the project endlessly has worn me out. And there was the hectic six months or so on the first book -- which still has some lingering details I keep having to take care of. Today.
Henry Miller wrote in Tropic of Cancer, that he wished there was some way to take "the machine" (typewriter) with him, since some of his best thoughts seemed to come while he was away from it. Well, today, there are a myriad of options. But writing is not dictating, or just thinking, it is sitting down and hitting the keys, or writing thoughts out. Until they come up with a machine that can type out your thoughts, (which I understand is not far off). Imagine writing by just thinking! That will be the best!
Mark Twain said in his autobiography that it is impossible to write a biography of a man's life, since his life really is made up of the thousands of thoughts that pass through his head daily. I have to say, I entertain myself so much all day with constant humorous thoughts that, well, according to Mark Twain, I'm having a pretty good life. If people only knew what swims around in my head! Someday, maybe I will get closer to getting it down on paper. A writer friend I know who laughs uncontrollably at some of the things I say tells me that in my fiction writing, I'm still holding back, not unleashing the raw humor that I can in person, spontaneously. I have to work on that more (but you have to have a story line too!).
I've been watching the series Mad Men on Netflix, which is set in the early 1960s on Madison Avenue. I love it. It delves into the world of business, especially the NYC advertising business, and its portrayal shows you just how different things have become in the work environment over the past 50 years or so.
The men and women in the offices are almost always lighting up a cigarette. Doctors used to endorse it. Doctors used to smoke in their offices--while with patients! Mothers even smoked at home in front of the kids, which would probably end them up in jail these days for child cruelty.
The executives are drinking in the office, frequently, sometimes even first thing in the morning (this got me started on Bloody Mary's last Sunday morning ;). It's quite common to take a client out for drinks--lots of drinks--and maybe some girls, working girls. And the men have pretty much open access to flirt and insult the secretaries, all of which is passé or illegal in today's politically correct and heavily regulated business world.
So I got to thinking about how hard my father worked, but how he left at 7:30 a.m. and was home by 5:30 p.m., unless he was traveling (where he sat in the back and drank and smoked on the plane), and didn't do any office work to speak of once he was home, and all weekend.
Just think: no email, no voice mail, not even typing--the secretaries did all that.
The working people of yesteryear would not recognize today's work environment. We are swamped in messages and information, and can hardly get away from it.
I am thinking that as wrong-headed as many things were in the 60's, one thing they had right was they rested, took a break, separated work and home life. The business world could use more of that today, but I fear there is no turning back. Yes, I'm certain of it.
So how do you deal with this daily, hourly incursion of interruptions and information? Well,.you can do like I do (once I'm done writing these books!) which is to use these technological advances for your advantage, and to be able to travel and live and work anywhere. I've worked from Mexico for the better part of five years, but also from San Francisco and Las Vegas and D.C., and have even gotten some work done while I have been traveling in Panama, Europe, and even Cuba (yes, I was able to log in over a slow connection from a state-monitored computer in a hotel lobby).
The ability to work irrespective of time and space is the ideal work situation, and today's tools allow that and provide more freedom for those who work hard to pursue it. But there is a lot of work to getting it set up; you have to make sacrifices and trade-offs as you slowly remove yourself from a physical work environment to a virtual one. It is well worth it, and many are following this path. It's my contention that nearly every job has some angle that allows it to be done online. If you are a car repair person, you may have to have a fix-it or diagnostic manual ghost-written to sell online, and maybe set up a toll-free hotline for second opinions or advice. If you are a teacher, you can create course materials for home-schooled students, or hold video tutoring via Skype, GoToMeeting or other remote communication tools. If your expertise is supply chain management, you can offer consulting services online. If you are a journalist, it's easy - just research and write online. If you have some kind of special expertise, some hard thinking and work and some help from others can get allow you to build an online source of income.
You may not get away from the machine, but at least you will get away from your desk or office building, and you can break up your workday into a more non-linear, fulfilling life experience.
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