We all think that when we get more time, we'll sit down and work toward our goals and dreams. Maybe we're waiting for the kids to go off to school or maybe we're waiting for our spouse to go on a week-long business trip or a hunting trip with his buddies. Then, finally, when we have the time and the peace and quiet, we'll get started.
I've done this numerous times. And I've always come back with the same conclusion: it doesn't work for me. I finally get some time to myself but then the time goes by so fast I hardly get any work done. By the end of the "me" time, I'm looking back on it and thinking I just wasted the whole week. Maybe I accomplished some things, but the fact that I can't recall much of what I did tells me that I didn't work on much that was important enough to remember.
It's a noble concept, this I'll wait until life settles down. But by the time we get there, we haven't developed any habits or routines that will help us make the most of the time we have. It can take weeks to get into the groove, especially when it's something that involves creativity like writing. Everything relating to the dream we've been holding off on is new. Even if it is a goal to get in shape or to start eating healthier meals, it's still new and trying to stick to brand new habits can be a challenge. Not impossible, but a challenge.
If we want to make the most of the special time we get, we have to start developing habits and routines now. That way, when we have extra time, we can get some serious work done rather than flounder around trying to be productive but not knowing what to do or how to do it.
I'm sure there are some people who handle this very well. They get the extra time and they can go, go, go until the time is up and they have to return to normal life. But if you're anything like me, you need to get into the groove first before you can handle such a large amount of time.
I need time for the creativity to come back. If I'm not constantly working at it, I find myself out of ideas and then frustrated as a result. For me, frustration does not spark creativity; it stifles it. When I don't work on my writing every day, my writing "muscle" starts to weaken. It gets out of shape.
Whatever your "muscle" is, you'll want to give it regular exercise if you want to take advantage of those moments of extra time. Not only will you be able to get more work done when you have more time, but you'll also be working toward your dream right now instead of next month or next year or whenever retirement rolls around. As they say, the timing will never be just right. We have to start today.
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