Now or Later

I wish I was one of those people who could spring (or even crawl) out of bed at 5 in the morning. I feel that I would surely have time to write every day if I did that. As it is, I barely give myself enough time to eat breakfast and wash my face before work. Then evenings are spent exercising, cleaning, cooking, and being with my fiance. Sometimes I have a chance to write at work, but I can't rely on it.

I've always thought that I need to reach the place where writing IS my work. That way I can come home in the evenings and have nothing to do but relax and play! So I work jobs that leave me more free time than most. And I try to fill my free time with writing, but I'm not always successful.

One of the main Time Stealers for me is Screen Time, and by that I mean time in front of the Internet and television. There's nothing wrong with a little email, reading the news, and researching things to do. And cuddling up in front of a movie with my man and a bowl of popcorn is awesome. But I do these things to excess because I am bored, insecure, tired, or depressed.

It's a constant struggle with myself, to devote my time to that which makes me happiest in the long run, even if it's the more challenging choice in the moment. I so often choose what is most pleasurable in the moment, even if it means I have to suffer later on.

My role model for overcoming this inner sloth is Haruki Murakami, the bestselling Japanese author who gets up at 4 am every morning to write for 5 hours, then goes running for several hours after that. From what I can gather, he doesn't think too much about other alternatives. He decides on his course of action and just does it.


photo of haruki murakami