Frustration - Issac Azimov - Making no Progress

Seldon shugged. "Why does one usually feel frustration? I'm tackling something in which I am making no progress."

from:  Issac Azimov,  Prelude to Foundation

I have been following Stephen King's admonition about writers should read. However, I may be cheating? I am listening to books on tape (has that become an anachronistic term?) while I exercise and do various and sundry distractions from achieving overall goals. Previously I would listen to political podcasts, but the quality of speech and the repetition of ideas has become boring.

Currently, I am listening to the first Foundation book, Prelude to Foundation explains the origins of Hari Seldon, the birther of Psychohistory which predicts overall future trends. I haven't read Azimov's books in a long time and I have become struck in the similarity of the royal play that occurs in Game of Thrones and Dune.

I am struck that since I want to write stories, perhaps I am cheating by listening and not seeing the words on the page. However, I am unable to read books during these times, so perhaps I am accomplishing something.

This quote struck me in that currently I am frustrated. I am on the last of eight weeks of Tim Clare's writing class in which we are working on our novel. It has become evident that I need to structure an overall plot and organize all of the notes and ideas. The overall feeling is that I am stuck, I am 'making no progress.'

I am also not making progress at teaching. I have plans to produce a system to motivate underperforming students. Like my novel, notes and ideas are everywhere.

Previously, I wrote about how "planning the perfect day" would require planning and performing the 'perfect' previous day. Things need to get accomplished to set up a perfect day. And now it is an immediate issue. Perhaps Stephen Covey had something with 'sharpening the saw.'

Gratitudes: Everyday is a new day, flowers, and income.

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