Time was, years ago, when I would play basketball by myself for hours. The only way to make this "practice" tolerable was to play self-competitive games. I'd shoot a hundred free throws as player "A", for example, and then try to see if player "B" could better it. Same with hook shots, or three-pointers, or even trick shots from behind the backboard. Later, when I could jump, I'd have dunk competitions against myself. Could I dunk off the bounce? Or from a toss off the backboard? Or 360-spin (no, never could!)?
Now that I'm old and gray I'm still playing games. Usually it involves writing. Some of my games go like this:
How many pages can I write today? Can I better myself tomorrow?
How many editors can I contact this month? Can I set a record next month?
Earlier this morning I also played a game. I came to the end of my writing time, but still had ten minutes in which to write two brief columns--150 words each. I set the clock and began. Type. Type. Revise. Type. Type. Revise. Type. Revise. Type. Type. DONE!
Listen, if you need motivation, make a game of it. The way I figure it, I just made $40 in ten minutes . . . not huge money, but when you multiply it by-the-hour, it ain't bad.
I only wish I had more games to play. I can't dunk anymore, and Lord knows I can only dribble in the bathroom.
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