I have little inspiration, desire, nor motivation to write today. I’m forcing myself to write anyway.
Going into 2022, I could sense that blogging twice a week would feel more like a chore this year. To start, there are so many things I want to do with my time! I have a long reading list, coding languages to practice, and foreign languages to learn. On top of that, I designate Tuesdays and Saturdays for blogging AND for doing household chores. Lastly, what if I want to make a dent in my TV list (I haven’t watched ANY TV this year yet!), or my movie list, or my ceaselessly growing Youtube “Watch Later” playlist? If all that weren’t enough, I have ACTUAL writing ambitions and ideas I want to work on this year.
Instead, I sit on my couch, with a desire to wash dishes, with Youtube on in the background, then take a hot shower before bed. After an hour and half of procrastinating, I’m forcing myself to write. What’s that quote: “Eighty percent of success is just showing up.” Unfortunately, it was Woody Allen who said that, but hey, a broken clock is right twice a day.
I’m pretty sure any established writer will profess that a good writer keeps up with it regularly, if not daily. Certainly, I don’t write daily, but knowing that I should adds more pressure to it. I feel like I’m working two jobs, between my real life career, and then writing, programming, working out, and keeping a clean house. It’s a lot to juggle!
Last year, I blocked out ideas for blog posts months in advance, so that I would never sit at my computer, stuck for inspiration. How do I do that for years running, without becoming repetitive? I wonder how many times “The Simpsons” has literally copy-pasted episode storylines into later seasons. Can I get away with it after two or three years, or does more growth need to occur?
Truly, my time management has never been a strong suit. I suffer from going with the flow of the day. A more regimented, disciplined schedule would keep me on track! However, I’ve found that strict schedules are like a microchip. A single grain of sand and everything gets ruined. Even today, I woke up with the intent of going on a run. However, I couldn’t find a high intensity workout sports bra to keep things IN PLACE (if you know, you know). As a result, I had to wait until the end of the day to go for a run, which ate into my evening time, putting me on my computer past 8PM. With my early bedtime routine, I like to shut down by 8!
However, I’m forcing myself to write. I’m present, I’m here, and I can say that I did it. Even if I did only vent about my lack of inspiration, it counts. I sat down. Then I poured some words out. It counts. As well, I’m writing this on a Tuesday, and scheduling it for a Saturday post. I anticipate having a busy weekend, with no time to write, so I’m having non-inspiration ahead of time. That has to earn me some productivity points!