When the cornea of your eye has two or more focal points it’s called astigmatism. Astigmatism makes vision blurry and can cause eyestrain and headaches. My entire life I’ve lived with this lack of visual focus.
Before you think all is lost and I’m tapping my way around the world with a cane, my coke-bottle lensed glasses got me through life. Without my glasses, I could see to the end of my out stretched fingertips. Fast forward to 2008 and I willingly stared into a laser – twice. Lasik changed my life dramatically. The creases on my nose from the heavy eye wear faded and I could see all the details I’d been missing.
Why do I tell you all this?
The writing process is much the same. I find myself lost in a multi-focal forest of wonderful ideas, unable to execute. Then add the necessity of having to work to put food on the table and kibble in the dog’s bowl. Most days I’m feeling like a squirrel on crack.
I came up with a simple plan – use my calendar. (gasp, stumble, fall on my butt) I already have the software (I’m a techno geek, I don’t go anywhere without my smart phone or my tablet. Yes, if the world loses all electricity I’m screwed as I have a hard time reading my own handwriting), it would be dumb not to use my resources. Blocking out my daily events and giving myself the occasional writer weekend has given me time to write and relax.
I’m always going to have things that pull my focus away from my writing, but I can manage them and still achieve my writing goals.
