Bit by bit

I’ve committed to do this writing thing every day, for decades. That’s scary because to do a thing every day for multiple decades means doing that thing a lot. For example, over ten years, that means I have to publish 3625 posts. Over twenty years, I have to publish 7250 posts. To do that, I need to come up with over seven thousand things to say.

The immensity of that task strikes me with anxiety and apprehension. “How the hell am I going to manage that?!” The answer is simple: bit by bit. Pay attention to the world and process what I find. Every morning, do it once more. Take it day by day, and eventually, those days will add up.

That’s the only way to march forwards ceaselessly, to complete immense tasks without overwhelming yourself in the process. Or as Marcus Aurelius put it:

“If someone asked you how to write your name, would you clench your teeth and spit out the letters one by one? If he lost his temper, would you lose yours as well? Or would you just spell out the individual letters?
Remember—your responsibilities can be broken down into individual parts as well. Concentrate on those, and finish the job methodically—without getting stirred up or meeting anger with anger.”