photo credit: geishaboy500
I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. — Douglas Adams
There is a difference to think that you might have a book in you, and to actually write one. I completed my outline for my new book, along with a rough draft of the first chapter, and it was because of the help of a deadline, which is why I am grateful.
I won’t pretend as if in the past I was the most diligent, focused person, who stayed on task. I could have very well been the poster child for ADD, that is one of my flaws I am currently working on.
I really am liking the direction that this book is taking, and the ideas I have come up for it. But what happens, is life sort of gets in the way, or so I allow it to, and then four or five days go by, and I haven’t made any progress. So, to help keep me moving along, I asked a friend to act as a publisher / editor, and for him to set deadlines.
This serves two purposes. It forces me to complete each task by a certain date, or risk embarrassment. I don’t want to have to make excuses as to why I did not get this done, especially when I really analyze what I did in the last few weeks, knowing I could have found more time if I chose to. It also helps me to work on another flaw of mine, and that is to establish smaller goals, that allow me to complete much bigger ones in the process.
One thing I am learning here recently, trying to juggle work, play, along with my writing, and spiritual studies, I need to manage my time more wisely. Beginning this week I will be weaning myself from television. After analyzing my television habits, I am finding that I am spending still, way too much time in front of the boob tube. I take what I view seriously, and even though I am a discerning viewer, I have found that it is adding up to over twenty hours a week.
The crux of the problem is not just the amount of hours I watch, it is when I watch it. I work some weeks four days, and others five. I am still working on increasing my health, and running into serious issues of back pain, that force me to spend my time after work recovering. The pain has decreased my motivation in a lot of cases. There are times where when I am home, all I want to do is sit, or lie down with my back on the heating pad. Other times, I have no energy due to the effect of muscle relaxers. Then come my days off, on these days my back has time to recover, not to mention I stay away from the meds. I begin to feel a bit of energy, and motivation, and now its time to catch up on my shows, and all of a sudden I’m trying to cram a weeks worth of television into those days off.
To sum it all up. Having a deadline is making me more productive. As soon as I do sit down and work on my book, the passion is once again reignited, and I can see the finished product. I honestly think if executed properly, this will be an entertainment hit. So what am I waiting for? It is time to quit sitting on the couch of life, and letting some boobs in Hollyweird feed my brain, and my soul. It is time I do this for myself, and instead of watching life play out on the small screen, experience it for myself.
So hell yeah, I am grateful for deadlines. Deadlines keep me in check, they keep my nose to the grindstone, the deadlines are teaching me how to set small goals, and accomplish those, in order to achieve the big ones. I am also grateful for the support of a friend, who is willing to be strong enough to call me on the carpet if I make excuses, and forgiving enough, if I get a little pissy about it.
