The Third Quarter Update

At the end of June/beginning of July, I did a recap of what I had done in the First and Second Quarters of the year.

I accomplished a lot.

I predicted that the Third Quarter would be more productive than the Second, which was more productive than the First.  But I had no idea of what I could be working on.

I keep plugging away.

I am trying to mediate twice I day.  I am definitely keeping to my once a day morning meditation.  And Deepak Chopra and Oprah are doing a 21 day meditation challenge.  I'm on board with that.

I have my office now, which helps.

The first month of each of the First and Second Quarter ended up being regrouping months.  January was spent getting ready for my Playwriting Challenge in February.  Then March was the month I wrote the new pilot unexpectedly fast.  

April was about work.  So May and June became about doing a lot of writing.  A rewrite of the pilot.  A rewrite of the play.  Then writing a spec.

July was about getting in the new office.  I had a few projects I wanted to work on.  But I didn't have a singular focus.  I wrote in the blog a lot.  I had been researching and writing some pages for a new play.  I had some pilots ideas I was putting together. But I went in the office every day and just worked.  Now, it's hard to remember what all of that was.  But I know that I went into the office and got stuff done.  I read a lot of books.  I saw some movies.  I was trying to "fill the tank", as Joss Whedon says.

Then I got an unexpected request to submit a screenplay.  And now I'm doing that because the script is due in September.  So now I have my August figured out.

September then will be about rewriting the play I started in February and rewrote in May for our Playwriting Challenge.  I want to get ready for submission season.

October is bringing out the TV Pilot Writing Challenge that I'm doing with my playwrights group.  And we've got a retreat that month.  So that's as far as I've gotten.

There's some work coming down the pike that will take me through October.  So the balancing act will be part of the lesson I will be learning in the next couple of months.  

It's funny how life seems unfocused and then it gets focused again.  I don't know creatively what I'll be doing in November and December.  But I don't need to.

I was looking back at my 2014 Plan and I've already surpassed the work load I told myself I would have.  Some things are out of my hands, so those fell by the waist side.  But in terms of material, I have much more than I thought I would.  That's a terrific feeling.  And it gives me faith in the notion of throwing "goals" out the window.  If I had just been stuck to the plan, not much would have gotten done.  I just focused on the work and not the results.  So far that's been working out for me really well.

It's nice to just have what's in front of me and to know what's in front of me.

And the meditation is helping to keep me calm.

I am grateful for my meditation practice.  

I am grateful that I got an evening meditation in tonight.

I am grateful for air conditioning.

I am grateful for putting my legs up on the bed.

I am grateful for dreams.

I am grateful for catching up with old college friends.

I am grateful for calmness.