The end of each of the last few years has brought with it a lamentation that I don’t write as much for this blog as I once did. Unsurprisingly, that trend has continued in 2018.
Not to belabor the point, but: When I began this blog in 2011, I divided my attention between a part-time sportswriting gig and a mind-numbing “career” as a contract attorney. As I wound down my tenure at VirginiaPreps, this blog provided a much-needed outlet for (1) things I couldn’t write for that audience and (2) an almost therapeutic exercise necessitated by the insanity-inducing contract work, which utilized no creative energy whatsoever.
Now, I have a much different job. One that is not only time-consuming, but which also (thankfully) affords me a target at which I may focus those creative energies. I freely admit that the blog has necessarily suffered as a result.
But that’s no excuse. I still find tens of hours a month to watch movies or play Red Dead Redemption 2 or catch up on DVR-ed seasons of TV shows that I still watch for reasons that have as much to do with the sunk-cost fallacy as any genuine interest. On top of that, I also still find the time to generate a weekly column at Hogs Haven. Put simply, saying that I have “no time” to write for this blog simply isn’t true.
Because of that reality, here is my vow for 2019: Barring infirmity or an unforeseen change-of-circumstance (such as the total collapse of the American or global economy, just to pull an example out of thin air), I will create at least 24 pieces of original content for this blog. Minimum. They may not publish on a regular schedule, but I will average at least two per month for the year.
Part of the reason I don’t write more is that I usually reserve this blog for longer-form pieces that I know are time-consuming. That creates a self-imposed, mental barrier to entry. In other words, I may have a good idea for a piece, but I’ll think, “Ok, this needs to publish in the next 48 hours due to timeliness, but it will probably take six-to-eight hours to write and edit it.”
If that thought strikes me on, say, a Tuesday, I normally won’t end up writing the piece, because I won’t think I’ll have enough time to do so due to work and sleep requirements. If the thought strikes me on a Friday or Saturday, I’ll think that I would rather just take a break and watch a movie because of all the hard work I put in Monday through Friday. And so on.
It’s a cycle, and one I need to break. It really isn’t that hard to do. I just need to stop rationalizing.
That’s where I am heading into 2019. For now, I’ll highlight just a couple of things I wrote in 2018 that I liked a great deal:
In the Palm of God’s Hand (6/7) – My tribute to our recently-departed friend, Bacon. Six thousand words seems inadequate in some sense, but I do think this captures what he meant to my family.
An Embarrassment of Riches (12/27) – Speaking of tributes, I think this paean to Bruce Allen and Dan Snyder does the Redskins’ leadership duo justice. And then some. Via Hogs Haven.
That’s about it. I wrote some other stuff this year, but that’s a good sampling. As ever, I want to express my sincere thanks to anyone who took the time to read something I wrote this year or any other. And, again, I vow that I will hit that publication mark in 2019. Let’s check back in 365 days and see how I did.
Happy New Year!
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The Axis of Ego 
Best of 2018
Not to belabor the point, but: When I began this blog in 2011, I divided my attention between a part-time sportswriting gig and a mind-numbing “career” as a contract attorney. As I wound down my tenure at VirginiaPreps, this blog provided a much-needed outlet for (1) things I couldn’t write for that audience and (2) an almost therapeutic exercise necessitated by the insanity-inducing contract work, which utilized no creative energy whatsoever.
Now, I have a much different job. One that is not only time-consuming, but which also (thankfully) affords me a target at which I may focus those creative energies. I freely admit that the blog has necessarily suffered as a result.
But that’s no excuse. I still find tens of hours a month to watch movies or play Red Dead Redemption 2 or catch up on DVR-ed seasons of TV shows that I still watch for reasons that have as much to do with the sunk-cost fallacy as any genuine interest. On top of that, I also still find the time to generate a weekly column at Hogs Haven. Put simply, saying that I have “no time” to write for this blog simply isn’t true.
Because of that reality, here is my vow for 2019: Barring infirmity or an unforeseen change-of-circumstance (such as the total collapse of the American or global economy, just to pull an example out of thin air), I will create at least 24 pieces of original content for this blog. Minimum. They may not publish on a regular schedule, but I will average at least two per month for the year.
Part of the reason I don’t write more is that I usually reserve this blog for longer-form pieces that I know are time-consuming. That creates a self-imposed, mental barrier to entry. In other words, I may have a good idea for a piece, but I’ll think, “Ok, this needs to publish in the next 48 hours due to timeliness, but it will probably take six-to-eight hours to write and edit it.”
If that thought strikes me on, say, a Tuesday, I normally won’t end up writing the piece, because I won’t think I’ll have enough time to do so due to work and sleep requirements. If the thought strikes me on a Friday or Saturday, I’ll think that I would rather just take a break and watch a movie because of all the hard work I put in Monday through Friday. And so on.
It’s a cycle, and one I need to break. It really isn’t that hard to do. I just need to stop rationalizing.
That’s where I am heading into 2019. For now, I’ll highlight just a couple of things I wrote in 2018 that I liked a great deal:
In the Palm of God’s Hand (6/7) – My tribute to our recently-departed friend, Bacon. Six thousand words seems inadequate in some sense, but I do think this captures what he meant to my family.
An Embarrassment of Riches (12/27) – Speaking of tributes, I think this paean to Bruce Allen and Dan Snyder does the Redskins’ leadership duo justice. And then some. Via Hogs Haven.
That’s about it. I wrote some other stuff this year, but that’s a good sampling. As ever, I want to express my sincere thanks to anyone who took the time to read something I wrote this year or any other. And, again, I vow that I will hit that publication mark in 2019. Let’s check back in 365 days and see how I did.
Happy New Year!
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