In Pursuit of Excellence
I have been doing power yoga for decades now, at least three times a week as part of my exercise regimen. Since I began when I was still living in Greece and my schedule and location did not permit me to go to a school or studio, I devised my routine by studying numerous books and culling out the best advice from each. I’ll never forget what one of the authors wrote about the proper mindset during exercise. He said that the ultimate goal is not perfection because you never become perfect. That’s why yoga is called a practice. There is no arrival point; your aim is continual improvement. That’s true of many things in life, of course, including writing. It is important to fully focus on what you are doing so that everything you do is your best possible effort at the time.
Recently I forgot this and attempted to juggle too many projects at once, including finalizing three books and also writing at least five hundred new words a day. The result was that my attention dissipated into several different directions, which slowed me down and made it difficult to properly concentrate on anything. For instance, I had all but completed my new collection of memoirs and essays, Thoughts from the Aerie, but it was roughly assembled; it needed some fine tuning. And I couldn’t do that while I was simultaneously attempting to do all these other things. I had to put the rest aside and focus on the book. As I was beginning to realize and implement this, I came across a book called Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Cal Newport, which reinforced my efforts to slow down and work on one project at a time, get it right, and then move on. Newport suggests three principles: do fewer things, work at a natural pace, and obsess over quality. This confirmed the direction I had been heading in sidelining some tasks so I could fine-tune Thoughts from the Aerie. I rearranged the content, took out a few pieces that didn’t quite fit, and revised it thoroughly.
Most of the memoirs and essays I include were composed after I moved into the fourth-floor apartment that I call my aerie. I not only have an excellent physical view from my balcony, but in my solitude I have a sweeping perspective of past, present and future. In the book’s first section, “Back Story,” I deal with the past: I trace the roots of my artistic destiny and my irresistible urge to travel the world; I analyze the intricate patterns of past relationships; and I recall one of the most profound periods of solitude I have ever experienced during my life’s journey, a walk alone into the Himalayan Mountains. In the second and third sections I share observations about writing, travel, literature, perseverance amidst adversity, optimism during a pandemic, and other topics. And finally, I express my hopes and dreams for the future.
It would not have been possible to finalize the book into its present form if I had not made the decision to set aside other projects and prioritize its completion. Going forward, I plan to continue to work slowly, focus intently on one thing at a time, and emphasize quality.
