The cult of busyness is alive and well. People compete to be the busiest, the most productive. They get up at 5am to drink juiced vegetables because they have no time to chew. They do spin classes while in Zoom meetings. Then they cram in a yoga session to prove that their 19-hour working day is perfectly bearable.

Well, some people do. But I suspect it’s fewer than we think. Busyness can be such a badge of honour – even an expectation – that you may feel obliged to be busy. Or, at least, to look busy.

I literally have a book on my shelf entitled something like Calling Bullshit on Busy. Which, of course, I haven’t found time to read.

And yet – and yet! – I sometimes find time for a nap (daytime napping is my superpower).

So, while I’m busy – and I guess you are too – it might be better to think in terms of priorities. A wise friend of mine talks about life in terms of dials: when you turn up the effort on one thing, you should (or even must) turn it down on another.

And if you get it wrong, he says, you feel terrible. You become tired, grumpy, unproductive. You stop enjoying life.

Which brings me to writing (and any other creative endeavour). Just as I find time for my “ninja naps”, I steal the occasional moment to write. And it’s amazing how those little bits of writing pile up.

The book I’ll publish later this year, the Wolf of Wistman’s Wood, was written almost entirely on my phone back in my London commuter days. Squeezed into oft-delayed trains, I wrote about 19th Century Dartmoor.

So, if you’ve got a creative project that’s been on ice for months or even years, try turning the dial up from 0 to 1%. But never skip a nap. They’re essential.

Comfort Fiction

The “scary global events” dial is turned up right now – possibly interfering with your ability to sleep.

For this, I commend the wise words of Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. On the eve of war, he says:

“What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.”

Dicing with Death

If you fancy escaping the real world for a bit, let me recommend Elestia – the fictional world of Dice Company. This month, we’re in “make the podcast a global sensation” mode. We usually do this when one or more of us becomes disillusioned with the busyness – or perceived busyness – of life. The trouble us, finding listeners is hard work.

Just as my book-writing career is hobbled by the sheer number of books being published, the podcast field is extremely crowded. But that’s OK. We’re here for the long haul. We’ve been industriously promoting the show, entering for awards and (here I award a medal) Tom has been re-editing ALL chapters to improve the sound quality. In so many ways, he’s the podcast’s only true hero.

The problem, of course, is that he’s now extremely busy. Once the grand re-edit is done, he has promised to turn the dial down – at least a little.