"Form serves us best when it works as an obstruction to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work and that when we no longer know which way to go we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings." Poetry and Marriage by Wendell BerryI know that my mind is truly baffled when I cannot even decide what to prepare for dinner. Although I do need a break periodically, I love to make food, to try new recipes and prepare old favorites, and to introduce new flavors to my family's palette. Most of the time, my family plays along happily. I also have a tendency to set food goals like Meatless Monday or a lettuce salad to accompany every dinner or the inclusion of more beans and legumes in our weekly menu. So, when I can't find any inspiration or direction when it comes to dinner preparation much less writing, I know the problem largely points to my personal well being.
At least once a week, I seem to find myself distracted and lacking focus as if I am carrying all the cares of the world on my shoulders and cannot be bothered with the day's work. I could blame this on social media or my hormones or the weather or a poor night's sleep. Trust me when I say that the list of culprits could go on and on. However, I know that I really have no one to blame but myself. I work at home and write at my desk in my office, a solitary endeavor the majority of the time. Silence, not solitude, is the real issue. I am learning to consciously cultivate external silence which in turn gives voice to my internal thoughts and desires. Soon, the words I string together are authentic. I feel centered and ready to tackle any task, including dinner.
I try to cultivate silence each day at home by following these guidelines:
- See the family off to work and school;
- Complete a small list of daily chores;
- Turn the TV and radio off;
- Quiet the dog and cat;
- Check email -- be ruthless in unsubscribing and deleting invasive messages and responding solely to mail that builds relationships or increases productivity;
- Uninstall any application, software, or social media platform that is not essential or in line with #7;
- Engage in bits of reading that inspire the imagination and challenge thought;
- Make a concerted effort to each out to one person each day by telephone, email, or snail mail, particularly friends and family spread far and wide, to maintain healthy and supportive long-term relationships;
- Walk the dog on our daily neighborhood loop no matter the weather and breathe; and
- When scheduling, be sure to leave a three hour block open in the morning or afternoon.
I build my daily routine around these ten steps. Although I can't say these guidelines help me do my best work, I believe they help me do steady, productive work. My goal is to turn writing into a practice rather than a periodic endeavor. And, I hope to be able to better direct my baffled mind and sing with clarity as I cobble together words on the page as best I am able, impeded yet unencumbered. And, also always ready to share a meal.
