Scheduling More Hours Into the Day

Whenever it comes down to buckling in and doing what needs to be done, I always resort to feeling as if there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. The thing is, there are plenty of hours. I could easily get everything I need and want to do done. It's a lack of discipline that holds me back. It has always been an issue with me and I want to change it. I'm not just talking about my writing and my career, though that is a major area in which I feel the pressure from this. It has also happened my entire life when I've tried to set aside time to exercise, read and create. I've recently set aside an hour every day to exercise and it's been a refreshing change. The thing is, now that I know I can do it, I've seen the evidence and the results in one area of my life, it's time to make the leap for positive change in another area.

One excuse that I've got to nip in the bud now is that because I work on the computer, I don't feel as compelled to spend time outside of work on the computer writing. Break the block. Grab a notebook and a pen and head to the library. I can always type it in later. Another thing would be to write more poetry. I don't like to write poetry on the computer anyway. It always feels more natural with a pen and paper. I have stacks of notebooks filled with poetry, though since I finished college I haven't written near as much poetry as I once did.

Cutting away excess time on the net where I'm just surfing for things that don't really matter or pertain to my life is another place that I think will really make a difference. It's a poor excuse to continue falling back on the old, "writer's will do anything it takes to keep from picking up the pen." Time to break the mold. I have so many short stories finished. They just need a little bit of a facelift so I can start submitting again. I have some very realistic goals set for myself when it comes to submissions. Goals I know I can achieve without problem.

I read a quote a few weeks ago that I had never read before, but it really stood out for me and hit home. I haven't been able to find the exact quote since I read it, but it basically said that rather than waiting to be inspired or motivated to do something, take action. As a writer I've lived far too long under the misconception of inspiration. My mind is chock full of ideas. I've had more inspirations for stories in one lifetime than you could possible imagine. Entire stories already mapped out beginning, middle and end... yet I often hold back on writing them because I feel I need more inspiration. It's insane. What more inspiration is needed if the idea is already there? Take action. Write.

I also try not to take myself too seriously, to have a little fun now and then. My husband and I were just talking about playing cover tunes (he's a musician,) in comparison to writing fanfiction. I recently had an inspiration for a Battlestar Galactica fanfiction. I picked up and started writing immediately. I took action and just wrote. It felt really good.

More action. I have a strong feeling that taking more action will create a feeling of more hours in the day to get the things I want to get done done.