I suppose the title gives things away. Despite all my good intentions this will be post 24, but it is 26th January. Two days have been swallowed up by that mad whirl of naps, TV and procrastination. I can pull two days back quite easily, so it isn’t a problem for now. Be prepared for two supplementary posts over the coming days.
I had an email from an editor yesterday, two more acceptances, bringing the total for 2025 to 55. I know numbers mean nothing, because it’s about quality. But at the same time it does mean I’ve been applying myself to writing and I carried the plan through.
It’s the same with a blog a day – it doesn’t mean I’m writing better blog posts but it does, I hope, mean that I will improve because of the constant practice.
The same goes for ideas. In the past I have hoarded ideas, ready for the day when I feel that stars have aligned and the day is propitious for one of my great ideas. However, theory, and reality, seem to indicate that the more ideas you use, the more you will generate. It does seem to work.
In other contexts, I don’t consider this a good thing. Every time I think about it I remember being in a meeting once where one aspiring volunteer (or aspiring chair, if the truth is told) said “My strength is having ideas. If anyone needs an idea, just ask.”
What still makes me grit my teeth at this, is that everyone can have ideas, but what you need on a committee is people who will work.
That’s the secret with most things. I can have all the ideas I like, but if I don’t work, nothing happens. That’s why quantity is important, it means you are doing the work which will lead to quality. And if you are doing the work and achieving the quality, you may, with luck, become good.
Sunset at Sherwood
Definitely in the right direction
It seems to be working.
Interests can become eternal. Highly recommended.
🙂
Getting things done well and on time is the greatest skill in the world. That needs character. Choosing the right things to do at the right time is the second greatest. That needs ideas. Having character but no ideas is pretty hopeless, but having ideas and no character is terribly dangerous.
So many thoughts – so little time! Though by the end of the comment I had to step back and admire the way you managed to make a WP comment on procrastination into a stiletto-like comment on modern politics. 🙂
One of the many things I like about reading your posts is that they almost always stimulate thoughts in the large empty spaces between my ears, not necessarily always very useful thoughts, but thoughts none the less.
Most of my thoughts aren’t very useful either, I admit. I also find that the things I learnt this morning have mainly been forgotten. Still, we have exercised our brains, which must be good.
Congratulations on 55 acceptances, Quercus!
Thanks Lavinia. 🙂
Quantity v quality. I obviously err on quantity…
🙂