Yes, I’m writing a “sort of” update on my DLMChallenge via my “The Writer’s Mind” series. Now you may be asking yourself, “why not make another DLMChallenge update?”

I will soon. But this is different.

The DLMChallenge has been both a gift and a curse. I used to think that I watched a lot of movies, but that was until I started this challenge.

As of press time, I’m currently at #189, a mere 36 titles away from the day of the year (August 13th, Day No. 225). Now that’s an achievement considering I started so late, and didn’t pick up steam until April.

Every day listed above that I’m behind, I need to double, triple, or quadruple the number for the amount of movies I have to watch today. So I have to at least watch one a day from here on out to maintain my handicap. And if I miss a day nowadays? Yikes.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: This challenge takes a lot of time. Not to mention each movie having a blog post here (yes, that last part’s my choice). Those take an awful amount of time and aren’t that rewarding to write anymore. I do try to make them fun, but I think at this point I’m just going through the motions. Clearly that time is taxing.

So much so in fact, that along with my full-time job, it prevents me from writing other important things in my life; other blog series, Smashed Into Oblivion, and most importantly: screenplays.

In the time before the challenge, I was able to catch up on missed episodes of the shows that I loved like The Daily Show, @Midnight, and other daily shows. I was also able to get a lot more writing and chores done around the house. I was able to go to the gym more often. It was great.

But I wasn’t seeing a lot of movies. And I love movies.

So this double-edged sword has fulfilled one aspect of my life by restricting several others. What am I to do about it?

My goal is to have a surplus of films by the end of September. I want to be ahead of schedule for a change so that I may utilize a day off here and there and not feel guilty about it.

I’ve been watching some movies at the gym, spending up to two hours working out and watching one via Netflix or Hulu on my iPod.

I realize that catching up with TV shows isn’t really that important, but I need to watch the last batch of Jon Stewart’s Daily Shows before they expire on Hulu, so I’ll get to that. Boy, do I miss @Midnight too…

As for the screenplays and Smashed Into Oblivion? I need to focus on making a quality story and not rushing into things. My plan is to continue on them, but try to put my full focus behind them. So stay tuned for that.

What worries me the most is the DLMChallenge blog entries. These take up a lot of time and I still have three hundred to go. God help me. So watch a man fall apart LIVE through his blog!

I cannot wait to share the Complete list of titles for the DLMChallenge with you. It’ll be so much more than a simple list. Look forward to that at the end of the year, which is rapidly approaching. Speaking of, I need to go watch another movie.

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Continue on this journey of crazed daydreaming by following this blog and of course, my Twitter @GuyOnAWire

And keep up with my #DLMChallenge, as I struggle to do the same.

-Jamie