The Sy’Arrian Legacy 2022 Strategic Plan
If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know I do not partake in the societal norm of making a New Year’s Resolution. I believe they create false expectations and lay the foundation for failure. The initial concept was sound but, like most good intentions, it has morphed from bettering the self to furthering slick marketing campaigns. This is not dismissing those who have experienced positive change after implementing a resolution; merely, citing the reality of our current point in time.
My December 2020 entry, which has a similar flavor to this one, ties directly to my post from last month, Deleterious Effects. A pattern of self-reflection and goals unfulfilled emerge. This is not self-deprecation but an acknowledgement of the truth, which shall set oneself free as the biblical saying proclaims. I am here to tell you; acceptance of the truth is one of the most liberating experiences no matter how difficult it may be at the time.
I tend to use what could be construed as a New Year’s Resolution to simply mark a beginning in time. I have a mild obsessive-compulsive nature towards organization, process improvement and keeping everything neat. This extends to how I often tackle new ideas, tasks, story concepts, endeavors, excreta. When I acknowledged my excessive gaming and how it has stifled the growth of my craft, I picked the beginning of 2022 to help measure my progress as I move forward, towards a return to what I love most, my writing.
It may sound a bit, clinical when I refer to my new focus in 2022 as a strategic plan. I am a 20-year state government employee and boy do we love to throw around the phrase, strategic plan. Joking aside, it is the perfect encapsulation of what I intend to do going forward. Creating a plan will help narrow my focus and create realistic expectations of what can be accomplished in a given time frame. Keep in mind, my idea of a plan is basically stating what I plan to do. I will not be sitting down and writing some type of report. I love to write but if all I do is write to plan, I will never write.
A common folly of writers is to underestimate the creative mind and its ability to meander through corridors previously unknown to exist in any of our well-planned storylines. If we spend too much time exploring, time passes us by and, before we know it, the realization of the fact we have not accomplished anything remotely substantive in our epic tales of adventure, comes home to roost. I have written about this facet in one form or another over the course of this blog and feel it is necessary to repeat periodically to keep self-awareness flowing.
One of the first items I will be putting much greater effort towards is the conversion of this blog to have a more website feel. I have a rough concept of how it will look to incorporate some new features, assuming those new features make sense in the grand scheme. The overall focus and content of the blog will not change but the tools I use to bring a more personalized feel to it will.
I mentioned previously switching from the free audio service I use, Website Voice to creating audio files of my own voice reading blog posts. This is intended for those who are hard of seeing and, lets face it, a sign of the times is many folks prefer to listen while they are driving or doing other tasks. I can appreciate it because I am often more productive while listening to music, usually soundtracks and a folksier style, which I find in one place at Heroes and Mortals Radio.
A tool I will be using to ensure I have good audio quality is the free, open source, cross-platform software, Audacity. I have done a few, preliminary test runs and found it extremely easy to use, although I would recommend watching a YouTube video on how to set it up properly and understand its functionality. The process is not too difficult and if I can figure it out, most of you should have no problem.
One of the most important implements for walking a more focused path, which I have already begun is to spend time each day writing. Stephen King is notably mentioned for stipulating one-thousand words per day. On first glance, some of you may think it to be quite the endeavor. In reality, it is a little over 2 pages and if I took the words I wrote in all the emails I craft on a daily basis at my place of employment, it would be double, if not triple, the amount. My only piece of advice is if you do a lot writing at work, not to conflate what you must do with what you enjoy. I made the mistake of doing just that and it took me a long time to unlearn it.
Another element to carve out proper time to perform, aside from targeted and controlled time spent on social media, is to read! Yes, read actual books and I do not care if it is electronic or held in your hands in the form of paper. Reading works from other authors, no matter the genre, helps to build vocabulary and generate potentially new approaches to your style. I still love the feel of a book in my hands, but I am also in favor of all formats and, to be honest, I would be a hypocrite if I said otherwise because I own a Kindle.
I saved the best for last: focusing on the self. This cannot be emphasized enough especially when you consider the shift in how many people are viewing elements of mental health and how we should be interacting with those around us. The mere act of just becoming more active in terms of physical exercise is huge, which has been expounded on for years. I read Zen, while practicing the elements of the Toltec wisdom and mindfulness. Shedding our ignorance’s and making amends, where needed, should be a daily focus until we no longer walk this earth.
There you have it. My rough outline of the path I will be walking albeit, some aspects I have already begun. Let me know what you will be focusing on in near feature and how it could make you a better writer.
Be safe, be well, and see you in 2022!
Feel free to post your questions or comments. I will respond, if need be, when I am able.
Resources:
Audacity: https://www.audacityteam.org/
How to Setup Audacity (YouTube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzJ2VyYkmaA
Heroes and Mortals Radio: https://heroesandmortals.com/
WebsiteVoice: https://websitevoice.com/
