Sisyphus, a Study
Is the schedule working? No it is not, haha.
But I'll keep trying. I think I'm making some slow progress... toward what? I'm not quite sure. Toward some semblance of a routine, I guess.
Scheduling things that have stuck:
- I've succeeded (finally) in pushing my wake-up time to a more normal hour. I got up at 8:30 despite falling asleep after 1 this morning.
- I've fallen into a morning routine of coffee + fiction reading. It's been pleasant to start the day with something quiet, peaceful, and entertaining.
Scheduling things that are still in progress:
- My workouts are still happening later in the afternoon. Somewhere between 3 and 7. It seems like this is going to stick around regardless of my trying to make it happen earlier in the day. So I might just accept that and adjust for this one.
- Bedtime is still later than it should be but earlier than 2:30. Progress... but slower progress than the wake-up time. This is expected given my insomniac tendencies.
- Drawing still happens in the afternoon, evening, or night. I've been unable to start any earlier than 2 or 3 most days. This may not be a problem unless it prevents me from going to bed on time. I'm watching closely.
Tasks I've accomplished over the last few weeks:
- Fulfilled a few print orders.
- Completed a commission.
- Completely revamped my illustration portfolio on moniquecucchi.com while avoiding a commission that intimidates me.
- Got my new iPad and set it up!
- Traded in my old iPad for $$ because I have #nosalary.
- Began to revisit some older drawings to add color/atmosphere. I think I'd like to add a few of them to my portfolio if I "finish" them.
- Entered another Fall market!
TL;DR I've done a lot. This week I'm going to focus on prioritization again. I have a lot more to do. Forever and ever, amen. Some of those things are definitely more important than others despite how much they may intimidate me. I'm going to work on reducing the amount of constructive avoidance I let myself succumb to. Next week, I hope to report that I've:
- Supplied all of the materials needed to participate in the new Fall show mentioned above
- Completed a birthday commission
- Completed a witch-cat commission
- Fulfilled 2 print orders
- Brainstormed a personal project
The Death of an Idea
The other thing worth noting is that I've halted the 2021 wall calendar + kickstarter project that I was planning to launch in October. After taking an honest look at the time I had to complete it, the commissions I've already agreed to (definite money), and the revenue that could be generated from a kickstarter at this point in my career (potential money), I decided the opportunity cost was not worth the predicted payout. This was a difficult decision but I think it was a smart one. The timeline was too condensed and, even if I was being super optimistic, I estimated that I would have made less than $2000 on the project. Not worth it. I'm going to use the time I've saved from that to build additional portfolio pieces and explore some other ideas for personal projects that are not as dependent on schedules.
CEO life: decisions, decisions, decisions.
