Setting Milestones – The Climb #550

Tuesday 25^th August 2020

I’m slowly feeling a bit better, and by better, I mean I didn’t feel the need to take a 2 hour nap late afternoon. I’m hoping I’ll be back to my usual self by the weekend.

I hope so as there feels like a mountain of micro tasks that I need to do in the next couple of months. I’ve given myself some milestones and I need to balance keeping myself sane by having writing projects and getting a lot of these tasks done (which aren’t writing but are admin relating to it).

Some of this involves a bit of research, which these days seems to primarily end up with me going to Youtube. What’s interesting is that the search criteria I put in gives me results that I already know and relate to an earlier “stage” of my career.

Whilst, it’s a bit frustrating not to be confronted with 500 videos on the subject you are searching for, it’s made me realise how far I’ve come. It’s so easy to focus on the mountain before you, and never stop to look at the view behind you.

Tonight, there’s very much a sense of accomplishment. I’ve been very much thinking of all I’ve done, all those little steps, and especially during lockdown. It’s caused me to get where I have, and whilst there’s still some minor tasks to do, I feel that I’ll reach an important milestone in a couple of weeks.

I’m very aware that milestones don’t equal success. I try to focus on the journey and not the destination. I always remember Neil Gaiman saying he wish he’d enjoyed the journey more. I’m going somewhere new for me, and whilst I feel my career is progressing in the shadows, it’s more in terms of new experiences and personal growth than anything concrete and headline-worthy.

There’s nerves too. I’ve bled enough over the years to combat any cases of imposter syndrome, but there’s still that sense of wanting validation. I wouldn’t say anything was deserved, but I’d definitely say it was earned. But still the future is very uncertain and the world is in turmoil. Baptism of fire I guess.

I realise the next couple of months are going to be hell, but the good sort of hell that come from growth. There’s lot to learn, lots to experience, hopefully more good than bad. What I realise is that I need to keep myself really busy. Now I have an idea of milestones and timescales I’ve got an idea of how big a project I could do as a distraction.

So on top of all the micro tasks and flitting between various projects I need something a bit more concrete.

I probably need to give myself a couple more days to be back to 100% but in the meantime I can start getting myself organised.