…it started with a weblog post or so it goes this time around…
My time away from writing is now done. A few months were spent internalizing the nature of being in the moment. That moment of focus has become the now. The now at the edge of my thoughts is very much present in this moment. In this very moment my thoughts are racing toward pushing things forward. They are centered around making a lasting contribution. Sometimes a single-minded focus on crossing things off of our to-do-lists allows us to confuse taking action with having purpose. Winning short term battles each and every day does not guarantee long term success. We have to strive toward personal growth in positive and productive ways.
Getting back into the habit of daily writing is easier than it might seem. It does not really involve a question of talent. It more or less involves a question of willpower and persistence. My tenacity has not been questioned in years. My productivity with respect to turning out academic papers is very much in question.
2017 has to be a turning point with respect to my academic productivity. Perhaps my goals should shift to writing one academic paper a quarter. The Q2 paper will have to be a literature review. I do not have time to set up collection for an construct a dataset for a more exploratory inquiry into an academic question.
This year my creative interests shifted to vlogging. It is an interesting creative outlet. My efforts included working on some daily vlog videos and even a few live streams. Those efforts were not focused on a making a contribution to the academy. None of it was about an idea that metaphorically knocks on the sky and makes a dent in the universe. Those types of contributions are harder and harder to achieve. The amount of signals and noise is at an all time high. It has become harder and harder to figure out the difference between a distraction and a real contribution that drives the academy forward.
