Follow Me On Twitter!
Procrastination.
It is something we are all guilty of. And recently something that I have been incredibly guilty of. My schedule is incredibly rigorous constantly pushing me to new extremes of exhaustion.
I constantly have six separate titles that I am working on. One for every day of the week and then an editing day which rotates between the six. Every day I write a minimum of two thousand words, even if I know it isn't something I will like the next time I go to work on that project I get a wonderful feel of accomplishment to reach this daily goal.
After six months of this schedule I found myself becoming less and less inspired to reach that many words in one day, so I gave myself a new challenge. If I can make it to three thousand words I won't have to clean my room that day. If I can make it to four thousand words I can buy myself a new book (and I really, really enjoy new books). ECT. ECT.
These guidelines I have set for myself are incredible and I am so glad that I adhere to my schedule. But recently I haven't wanted to. On top of my creative writing I work two incredible jobs that just love to keep me busy. I have one full day off a week and a few partials. This doesn't allot much time for my writing, LET ALONE the things that keep me sane. Like Skyping my cousin Morgan, showering, eating, breathing, reading, tumblr.
Enters the procrastination. Last week for the first time in a year since I started my writing regimen I did not write one single word for a story. I told myself a lie I am sure many others tell themselves, " I will do it tomorrow."
And maybe you do! And that would be great, but that is not how it went down in my story. Instead I kept pushing off my writing and suddenly an entire week had gone by.
I spent my week working, and in my few spare moments I went to the lake. My eyes and skin screamed at me for days saying they much prefer my room in the dungeon (okay so I live in the basement, but where is the fun in that word?) of the house.
I slept some and had some crazy borderline psychotic dreams that I am sure are the result of repressing my imagination for an entire week. Maybe I am a masochist? Because that surely seems like self induced torture to me. AND I DIDN'T EVEN REALIZE WHAT I WAS DOING TO MYSELF.
It suddenly clicked in my head that writing wasn't a job that I felt obligated to do. It is something my mind and health REQUIRES me to do every day. Or I might just go crazy. Or maybe I already have? That is up for debate I think.
Now I have become one with my inner cave woman needs to realize that my priorities are in no particular order, as follows : sleep, skyping with my lovely spectacular cousin Morgan, eating, showering, breathing, tumblr, reading and WRITING.
When I realized how off not writing made me feel I made a major decision. On my next birthday I am retire from working my two jobs. I will write full time and most likely be a slightly saner human being.
This will be a huge change in my lifestyle, and I am already pumped to possibly triple my daily word counts! I will spend my days happily inside my house, most likely curled up in my bed with my most beloved Tiberius (my laptop, and yes he is named after James Tiberius Kirk....) writing and reading and reviewing books! Maybe even growing a beard in the process! ;)
So I suppose if someone suffered through this post of mine they will have come to the same conclusion that I have, sometimes procrastination station is the place to be.
LLAP
--Lexi
7 comments:
Purple hair suits you, Little Mermaid. Sounds like you are a little burned out. Working on 6 stories at once is awe inspiring but a little Kray Kray.
I love a daily word count schedule though. It's a really good feeling when you can see progress. I keep a spreadsheet for each story that accumulates my daily word count, tracks my avg chapter count, and gives me a peek ahead that if I can keep up the routine, I can see how many days it will take to be done. Really geeky, right? HA!
But you might consider working on one story at a time with a daily word count goal AND taking Tiberius to a great spot that inspires you, maybe someplace outdoors with a nice view and some sun. I love that you reward yourself for hitting your daily goal. Keep up the good work, lovely. You're amazing.
LLAP
I am not a writer and will never claim to be however, it seems to me you should be worried about quality instead of quantity. And if your stories are anything like your blog, they gotta be good. Thanks for posting enjoyed reading it. :)
I like you, Anon.
I always enjoy reading your stories, blogs , or whatever you write! And I am SOOOOOO not a writer, but I agree with one of the other responders - quality , not quantity. On the other side of that I have been self employed all my life (and writing is self employment), so I know that sometimes it is beneficial to set goals to keep oneself on track! That said, here is my advice. Listen to your gut! Your gut will always, without fail, tell you what you should be doing. The problem is listening to it! I can tell you that the ONLY times in life I have ever gotten myself somewhere I didn't want to be was when I didn't listen ! Your gut will tell you on some days to write 10,000 words - when that story is so good that it is flowing and just won't stop. It will also tell you a day here and there, and sometimes a week, that your body and soul need to recharge , get some air, and do something other than your job! Even if your job is the most fun thing in the world. The happiest people I know listen to their gut , find their happy medium, nourish their soul and their mind and go on to bigger , better things. I also like the idea of taking Tiberius out to somewhere inspiring to do your work!
It sounds more like you took a well-deserved break than procrastination!In my world, serious procrastination lasts way more than a week and doesn't end as well! Good luck with your new path - it sounds productive!
I don't know who said it, but I often find truth in the words: "The secret to greatness is doing important things as a means to procrastinate even more important things."
Hang in there, and remember that you need to refresh your mind & spirit once in a while!
Post a Comment