So... What's Next?

That's the question that's been bubbling around in my brain pretty much all week.

I've managed to keep myself busy rather admirably (if I do say so myself!) over the past four months by focusing a lot of my energy on writing, reviewing and otherwise readying my 2nd book for self-publication. That doesn't mean that I didn't have a lot of free time over that stretch - blessedly, I did! - but rather that every day had at least some small degree of purpose to it.

At first, I was procrastinating on actually starting the book, which was kind of my raison d'etre, for a while there. Then I finally began to feel guilty about the fact that I wasn't doing what I knew I was supposed to do, and "the writing" began in earnest (and also out on the back deck by the pool, when the weather cooperated!).

I then had about 2 and a half months of short work days, where I'd devote a few hours each day, five days of the week, to my "day job", even though it didn't pay much (or really much of anything, when you break it down to an hourly wage). That was a good period, and the days just flew by, but in a pleasant 'this is the life!' sort of way.

Because I'm an incurable planner (just ask Vicki or Tammy!), I pretty much knew how things were going to go with regards to the book (and had, to a lesser degree, for the first one, too). I had things that needed to get done while the book was off being reviewed by others, and I plugged away at them at just about the pace that I'd expected to. It all came together very nicely, which was quite the refreshing change from what I'd grown accustomed to within the chaotic and ever-changing framework of my Agile Manager assignment when I'd been employed. Next week, if nothing goes horribly wrong, will see the 2nd book distributed to many waiting hands, and I'll probably make $200 for my several-month-long efforts... which is just fine, because I never counted on much more than that.

But that still leaves me with the question of... now what?

I've had a few faint leads on possible work - the kind that actually pays more than the cost of an economy trip to watch the Jays play a game at the Rogers Centre! - but nothing has gotten beyond the talking stage on any front yet. With Vicki out for the evening, I even spent some time tonight thinking about doing some Java programming here at home, most likely just for the experience and refresher that it'd offer. But I couldn't really sustain any enthusiasm for that idea for more than about an hour.

Part of the problem, I'll admit, is that I overdid the gaming and now I'm paying the price in the form of not being able to simply fire up Resistance 2 anytime I want to kill a few hours. This, too, shall pass, but in the meantime that development has brought down my previously-high spirits a notch or two. Oh, poor me!

And of course I'm struck by the irony that most of my peers would love to have the problem that I'm describing. That's not lost on me! It just doesn't really help, is all.

So that's what's going through my noggin this week, for anyone who cares. Though there's certainly no reason that anyone should...