The Tyranny of Time
Time. That fickle, fleeting, eldritch concept that bends, twists, and disappears when you need it most.
It’s been an incredibly productive stretch here at Dark One Games HQ. New artwork for Summoning Cthulhu has clawed its way into existence, and things are truly starting to take shape. But between my full-time day job, maintaining a house, raising a family, attending night classes, running Dark One Games, managing social media, designing new projects, and occasionally finding the rare moment actually to play a game... life feels like one giant juggling act performed on a slowly rotating pentagram.
I’m grateful for all of it. I’m lucky to have a family that supports this wild ride and a community that cheers me on. But still, dang, life gets crazy.
Here are a few fundamental lessons I’ve learned about time management and staying grounded amid the cosmic madness:
1) As my wife wisely reminds me: “You do too much, you’re always doing too much.”
She’s not wrong. The first step to managing time is admitting that mortals are not meant to do everything at once. Even Elder Things rest (probably). Learning to say no to yourself, especially when your brain is constantly yelling “Oh, that’d be a cool idea!”, is critical. It would probably work if I listened.
2) My kids said, “We love you, but we never want to be as crazy as you.”
Ouch. But fair. Balance is key. The goal isn’t to stop doing what you love, it’s to leave enough space in your calendar to breathe, rest, and maybe enjoy a non-Cthulhu-shaped dinner once in a while.
3) Embrace the Ritual of Scheduling
Find a rhythm that works for you. Whether it’s a to-do list, an app, or scribbling eldritch sigils on your whiteboard, the key is consistency. If it’s written down, it’s real, and it stops living rent-free in your head.
4) Protect the Void (Your Recharge Time)
You need downtime. Even the Great Old Ones sleep beneath the waves. Take a moment to reset, step away, and let your brain rest. Creativity thrives when it isn’t constantly being burned out.
5) Celebrate Small Summonings
Not every project has to end with the summoning of a full-fledged Great Old One. Sometimes progress means one card illustrated, one rule polished, one idea jotted down, or the trash taken out. Small victories add up, and each one deserves recognition.
6) Coffee, Must Have Coffee
The elixir of life. The ichor of productivity. The one true constant in a universe of chaos. Coffee isn’t just a beverage—it’s a ritual. The sound of the grinder at dawn, the aroma filling the air, that first sip that jolts your soul back into alignment with the mortal plane. Whether it’s black as the void, brewed in a French press, or siphoned through some arcane contraption, coffee is what keeps the gears of creation turning. I’ve long accepted that my bloodstream is approximately 50% coffee, 25% almond milk, and 25% hemoglobin. Even Cthulhu won’t get up without his coffee.
Time may be an unforgiving cosmic force, but with a bit of humor, self-awareness, and the occasional caffeine infusion, it’s possible to wrangle it into something resembling order. So, here’s to the chaos, the caffeine, and the countless unfinished to-do lists. May we all find balance somewhere between madness and inspiration.
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