Everything went fine today, but this morning at around 12, it hit me that something was missing. It only took me a minute to figure out what it was: chocolate. I collected orders from the rest of the office and hit the local bakery. Chocolate cake…mm….

It’s amazing what a difference good chocolate can make.

The last few days have been much better than last week, mostly because (drumroll) I actually set myself do-able goals instead of setting enormous ones and then panicking when I couldn’t accomplish them. It’s amazing how many times I have to re-learn that lesson… but every time, it feels like a revelation. Oh well. Like the old Rabbi Hillel line goes, “I stand up, I fall down, I stand up, I keep on dancing…”

My new goal is to get an average of 1,000 words/day written on weekends, but only 500 words/day (on average) written on weekdays, when I only have about 40 minutes to write, each day at lunchtime. (And sometimes less, if there are any errands I can’t skip out on.) This runs up against all my instincts, which scream that 500 words a day is Not Enough, and I will Fail when the ultimate judgement comes around if I don't accomplish Much Much More Than That…but then again, 500 words always feels do-able, even when I’m panicking. Yesterday, I didn’t quite make it—I had too many other things to do at lunchtime and only managed 234 words, one tiny scene—but then I wrote just over 700 words today and fixed the average. And I feel good.

Tomorrow I’m getting snazzy new glasses—small and rectangular and trendy. Woot! My first new glasses in five years. Of course, based on how much the last ones cost, I swore I would wear them forever… But heck, I’m all about do-able goals today…and five years isn’t bad. :)