As writers, our work can go on all day, all night. Always something to revise, send out, work on, create, prepare, organize. Always the research, meetings, workshops, deadlines. I have a great work ethic. And this is work I like to do.
This summer my mind rebelled. It wanted to see friends, have a glass of wine, go fishing, cook an elaborate recipe, watch stupid TV, shop, go on a date.
I said to it, Oh, no -- YOU are supposed to be working! Every minute counts! No glass of wine for you! No time off for you!
That was a good way to get my whole being to go on strike and acquire a cough, an infection, an injury, hayfever, depression. No appetite, no energy. Too much trouble even to read a novel. (I felt obliged to read this novel.) Energy only to play the video game "Jewels" on my droid.
Last week I was out doing errands and had no choice but to take myself to lunch; either that or I wouldn't get any food until after 10 p.m. Wow, I had a sandwich and coffee, wasting my time and money (I should have brought a bag lunch to eat in a park!!) -- and how great that felt! This week I took 24 hours to drive downstate seeking beauty (even though I actually brought work along!). Felt much better.
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Smiling. I just like this post.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean! Had all summer off to write, but did very little. Now that I'm back at school, I'm catching up. Go figure. Sometimes you just need to cut yourself some slack.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same. Constantly beating myself up when I'm not productive. Forgetting that I have to live sometimes, too.
ReplyDeleteYou read my mind, any minute lost will stick in my mind and I would regret it. Still finding it incredibly difficult to balance my work and social life.
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