One of the many things.
I have been asked a few questions by other people who have seen what I’ve “dared” to publish and mostly people ask me “how do you manage to have time to…” Well I’m sure my wife would be the first to wade in and say that I always become a little obsessed with whatever it is I am focussed on at any one point. I kind of immerse myself entirely in it until I become this weird little automaton until I am satisfied I have done what I can with it.
The same can be said for my writing. It draws me in once I get going and even the other day I had those warning eyes from my wife whilst grumbling “don’t you dare!” Darling all I did was create, name and format the three parts that will form Whispering Shadows (the next Jack James venture). Oh yes and I may have also………………..ouch and that’s the point she gave me a polite wife-like nudge!
As for other things in life, those who know me outside of this arena may nod knowingly when I say I can be a little intense with things. When I write, I WRITE. When I gym-it I GYM IT and when I train for a new role I TRAIN. I dare not think how close to the edge I have pushed my family over the years and the last five have probably been the most testing with this book, personal journeys, work journeys and everything else. But then again I’m still here ad still rocking the kazbar! Well more like I’m rocking the crazy dad lifestyle.
But whilst being on occasion intense in what I do, I do remain just a little bit childish (as shown on the nicely decorated new writing implement that is my laptop). Who can resist a few Star Wars decals I say. Well of course there was a large argument between me and my five and seven year old boys as to who should get the coolest one (Kylo Ren) and look who won…..fairly I might add, well mostly fairly. Well ok I gave them an ultimatum of bed early or let daddy have the decal. They saw reason.
Joking aside though finding time to prioritise what I do has never been easy. As a man I often get it wrong (I’m not saying all men do but I certainly do). I’ve had my highs and lows where my priorities have slipped and ultimately I show my flaws. But everyone who knows me will agree that in time I always re-adjust and get everything back to normal.
The ideas are already niggling at me and I have the premise for Whispering Shadows already in a shadowy outline in my head. I know the over-arching story and where I want to go with it I just need to find the details now. Of course I still have to balance work, family and gym into this so I’m determined to keep it all as balanced as I can without, in the words of Bridget Jones “f*****g it up mother”.
It’s probably the wrong way to do things but it works for me. I have to compartmentalise things to get it right. When I travel to work I disconnect as I drive there from home, leaving behind family and worries as much as I can. Once I get to work every work shift I will be there early and workout in the gym, for that time I focus only on my workout, nothing about family, nothing about work. When I shut the shed/gym door on site at work I can then begin to think what the hell life is going to through at me that day. Only when I clamber into the car, more often than not later than expected and more tired than I’d like, I drive home and in the same way as I disconnect from home the process is reversed. I try not to blur the lines. It doesn’t always happen but this way I can get things done mostly without making a mess of things.
People ask me how I do it……well I do it (as Frank would say) “my way”. That may not necessarily be the right way but it is the way that works for me.
I love what I do, I love why I do it and really I love what I get out of it in the end. Be that the kids giggling (or crying if I’ve gone too far as I often do), a good job at work or people actually reading the stories I right then so be it.
All I say is if you have an idea what’s the harm n running with it!?! Go for it, you’re guaranteed to get nothing if you put nothing in but if you try you could always end up with something. Which as they say is better than nothing.
