C25K Day Thirteen: Show Up!

Writing Day 13 on Day 18, but still, here I am.

Today we are discussing the excuses that I give for not writing. Let's list them, and see if there is a way to change the bad habits:

1. I am too tired
2. I don't have time
3. I have something else to work on
4. I want to relax
5. I have too many things to work on

I think these are probably the top five reasons - I don't really suffer from the 'I have nothing to write' excuse, I have plenty of ideas and when I start writing I end up doing it for a long time, which I guess is a good thing? So, lets break down the excuses:

1. I am too tired

Too tired, why? I believe that most of the time I am getting enough sleep, but I'm just not very good about getting up in the morning. It's the same way that I'll often say I'll go to the gym in the morning, but then the morning comes and I don't get up. The only way for me to actually get up on time is if I know I have no choice - so maybe I have to take the choice away, or not see it as a choice?

I am sometimes 'too tired' in the evening, but I find that if I stay away from the computer this changes. So maybe I should do hand-writing in the evenings, and also stay away from downstairs where there are too many distractions (and then somehow time flies by, and then it's too late to do anything because I should be going to bed). 

Things to change, then:

• Make getting up on time no longer a choice; turn on the light, put on the radio, do the things that make it impossible to go back to sleep. After all, I am getting enough sleep, I just find it difficult to wake up.
• I'm not actually too tired in the evening, I just feel like I am. Don't sit down for too long, if we're only going to watch one episode with dinner then just make it one. Go upstairs, write by hand if you don't want to be on the computer any more.

2. I don't have time. 

Sure, okay, there are things that do get in the way of writing sometimes. For example, work. But I can be writing on the commute to and from work on those days. I can also write during lunchtime. 

Just think: what are my priorities?

Interestingly, I'm okay with exercise being a priority over writing. If I'm going to the gym at lunchtime then that's okay, as long as I write on the commute and write when I get home. 

Things to change:

• Can I get up earlier to do some writing? 
• Commute and lunchtime writing
• If I have a free evening, I should be writing by 8:30pm until it's time to go to bed.
• If I have a free weekend, I should be doing a lot more writing than I currently am...

3. I have something else to work on

I think this is fair enough - I can't be constantly working on my book WIP because that isn't actually the first priority. The first priority is stuff for the Masters, and I need to get that written. It's also things to put on, submissions to theatres and such. So this, at least, is okay - as long as when I am not working on the WIP, I'm actually working on one of these other things.

4. I want to relax

Okay, maybe take one evening a week to relax and spend time with Ry. But if I've already done this by going out with friends or not doing any writing for a while, then there is no excuse. 

I ran out of time... how ironic.