As a recent graduate of college this past May, I had many fears about what path my life was going to take. I kept stressing out over finding a career. I can’t even begin to tell you about the countless applications I filled out for several jobs, only to be told I wasn’t the right fit. It was a hard journey for me to realize how rejection isn’t fun (guess that comes in handy for my future “getting published” dreams). I’d always been handed jobs throughout my life. Suddenly, I found myself in new waters, trailing them carefully so as not to start a wave of panic, but it was inevitable. I panicked and panicked and panicked some more. I kept wondering if I could be a fit for any job. Would anyone want me to work for them? Was my choice in major a wrong decision? And then out of nowhere, I received a call a couple weeks ago from a lady who I had worked for as a temp. She loved me so much; she decided to pretty much create me a position and wanted me specifically in her department. You can imagine the joy and relief I felt after receiving that call. Not to mention, the pay was a lot more than I expected to make. I’m certainly satisfied, and God’s been good.
You may be wondering where all this is going and why I’m wasting your Saturday talking about work, but hold your horses (what does that phrase even mean?). I’m getting to the point. Now that I’m a working woman with a career set in place, I have a bit of a problem…
My writing is suffering. I’m all about being relentless in my pursuit of my dreams and goals, so don’t take this as my way of copping out of that and leaving them off forever. I’m just having trouble knowing how to manage this whole new area of life.
Now that I work from 8 to 5, I find myself tired when I get home. This tiredness is pushed to the side, so I can work out for an hour. I have to work out or I get withdrawals! When that hour is over, and I eat dinner and comfortably situate myself in my dad’s billion year old recliner, wearing my cozy pj’s and ready to watch an Office episode, I can’t seem to muster up an ounce of inspiration to write.
Perhaps it’s because working in an office, in a cubicle to be exact, kind of drains all of the inspiration out of you, and by the time you’re off of work, you want nothing more than to relax your body as well as your mind.
So now I’m in that tricky position of trying to manage when I’m going to work on my books. Work on them Saturday, you might say. Well, I would, but it’s pretty much the only day a week that I get to spend with my boyfriend, due to his very busy schedule of business and school and living an hour away.
I’m going to have to find a day that is best for me. Perhaps a lazy Sunday afternoon, after church is over, I could take up the writing torch once again and type out pages of adventure and awesomeness. Or maybe I should dedicate an hour on a Friday after work. Maybe even Saturdays, before my boyfriend steals my attention (clearly I have time to write at this moment). I don’t know. I’ll figure it out.
If there is one thing I’m sure about, I’M GETTING PUBLISHED! There’s no doubt about that, so don’t start thinking I was all talk on my last posts about pursuing this dream with all I’ve got. I’m still going to fight for it. I just have to navigate my way around this new routine and find what works for me. I WILL NOT allow myself to make excuses. I WILL NOT allow myself to lose the part of me that is unique and creative and a dreamer. I don’t believe in excuses. If you want something; you can get it! But I won’t bore you with another long charade on how you can get it. You already know.
For now, I’m just going to continue to write the story in my head, jot down the notes and delegate a time each week for me to put those notes to work.
Any other ideas my writing friends out there may have would be extremely welcome! I’d love to hear about what works for you when it comes to making time for your writing. Let’s not lose that, my writing pals! It’s who we are and what we are passionate about. If that passion falters a little bit because of life’s unexpected and unpredictable moments, fine, but if it fades and then dies out, we’ve got a huge problem on our hands. It means that we have allowed the death of our heart and soul. We have failed them. Okay, so maybe that’s a little melodramatic, but I love to wax eloquently, Shakespeare-style, every once in an inspired day. Anyway, back to what I was saying. I’m not willing to allow the death of my heart and soul and passion and life. I want my heart and soul to stay intact. Do you? Then no excuses. I won’t make any if you won’t 😉
Cozy Corner 