The mighty mighty Os
August 24, 2008 at 3:09 pm 4 comments
The Olympics have come and gone. After a fortnight of frenzied physical spectaculaire, which was just as much fun for the participants as the viewers, we fall back to the history books, the evaluations and a visual record of the games. Whatever we might think about the Olympics, it is undeniably a celebration of athletic achievement and sportsmanship, and a triumph of logistical coordination.
I’ve been on both, well, more like three sides, of international sporting events. As a programme manager, an official and an athlete. It’s always more fun being an athlete at the Games. Obviously that doesn’t happen overnight. A whole bunch of people helped put you there, plus years of obsessive practicing.
That’s the thing, practice. Practice, like the basics, gets you to master one level before you progress to the next. For a some-time writer like me who’s been slacking off, it’s the lack of discipline and hazy mental focus that = lazy. Does that mean I’ll never be a top writer because I’m not putting in the hard yards? Possibly, maybe, it depends. Success, for me, is not measured by objective standards, but by subjective satisfaction at reaching a mark. That might be completing a page a day, an hour a day, a novel a year, a workshop a year, two submissions a year – whatever feels right at the time. Some marks are um flexible, perhaps too much so.
Having a coach or mentor would certainly get me back on track. Create a programme and stick to it. What say you?
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1. nicola | August 24, 2008 at 5:08 pm
You were an Olympic athlete? Wow. What discipline?
2. evecho | August 25, 2008 at 12:31 am
No, I’m not an Olympian. Apologies for the typo. I was, however, involved in the GayGames and the OUTGames.
The discipline I referred to was about getting into the writing groove. I wish I was as dedicated to it as you are. In that sense, you’re one my writing heroes.
3. nicola | August 25, 2008 at 3:41 am
Why thank you. But what sport did you/do you play?
4. evecho | August 25, 2008 at 3:47 am
The fastest indoor racquet sport – Badminton *g*.