One rule for life, shouting in carparks and zen-like self-sufficiency
12 Rules for Life? Jordan who?
Twelve? I laugh at twelve. So scattergun, so disorganised, so undisciplined. None of that flabby thinking here, thank you. Nope, one rule is all I need.
I’m still playing with different articulations but Do lots, expect little is the Orwell-approved, mostly Anglo-Saxon, less-is-more version that I’m going with for now. It’s also easiest to type.
The articulation may not be set in stone, but the principle is fixed and I’m really into it. It’s a principle for this new phase of my life. Arguably, a principle I should have adopted long ago. But as there’s no point in crying over unplanted trees*, I’ve been applying it assiduously** over the last few weeks.
As the name suggests, the principle is simple: hustle as much as you can but don’t assume much will come of it.
Doing lots in this instance means the electronic versions of arm waving, sleeve tugging, shoulder tapping and shouting across car parks in the hope that someone will notice that I’ve written a book. Admittedly, there’s a fine line between being persistent and being annoying:
So far, in practice it has meant a few things. First, I managed to charm my way onto Dan Simpson’s Writers Routine podcast. At least, I hope I was charming. We had an enjoyable conversation which he deftly edited to make me sound less confused than I know I was. Beforehand, in order to have somewhere for people to go for more information, I scrambled to get my website in shape and posted some things to Instagram.
On the flip side, expect little is a Buddhist-adjacent exercise in acknowledging that everyone else has their own life and that they each have a set of priorities within those worlds, worlds over which I have no control. Just because this is big news for me, doesn't mean it is for everyone else. The objective is minimal expectation but I’m trying to train myself to get that to zero. Expect nothing. A zen-like state of self-contained self-sufficiency. Despite my best efforts, this objective remains unrealised.
The obvious benefit of this approach is less disappointment. If you expect nothing, even the tiniest response is a boost. More importantly, my one rule forces me to remember why I’m doing this in the first place: I enjoy it. I would be writing stories even if no-one noticed or appreciated it. Yes, I’m a shameless attention junky but I’m not only that.
* Isn’t there some aphorism about the best time to plant a tree is thirty years ago and the second best time is today?
** I so desperately wanted to make a gag about assiduous/deciduous. But I was strong. I resisted. Until now. (Imagine me rolling my eyes.)
