Time Waster

I'm a time waster.

A big one.

I've got a million things to do and only so much time in which to do it. And in the limited free time I have, I probably spend most of it sleeping.

Procrastination is my most hated enemy, not only because of my frequent battles with it, but also for the way it afflicts others. Many people that I know, be they musicians, artists, or writers, really struggle with actual content production. Lack of focus is the most common culprit, it often seems.

It's easy to get lost in video games, movies, books, or what have you, and before to long you find yourself sitting around talking about all your good ideas, but very few, if any, ever get fully realized. It's also easy to blame outside forces beyond your control. The day job is my biggest target, it eats up 40 hours a week and can leave me stressed and worn out, completely drained of all energy or ambition. But stress is a natural and healthy part of all our lives, and if it wasn't my day job, it would probably be something else. Obviously there are varying levels of stress, and there certainly are going to be outside influences that legitimately hamper your production rate, but it can be difficult to gauge at times. The key, is learning to work with your stress and monopolize the time that you do have to work with.

Often times the smallest amount of production feels like the greatest victory when you utilize your time properly. Every little bit that you accomplish, every sentence your write, gets you that much closer to the finish line. The immensity of a project can be overwhelming. It is of utmost importance not to let yourself be defeated before you even begin.

There are various methods by which people use to overcome their personal obstacles. I don't believe there is any secret to help motivate, encourage, or manage an artist's production. Ultimately, it's up to the person to set realistic goals for themselves and have the determination to see them through.

I'm not very big on Mission Statements, I don't make New Year's Resolutions, and I don't like making a ceremony out of something that should be a common occurrence. I also don't like to use a reward system. Finishing your project is the true reward. Conducting prizes and self congratulations is a waste of time and energy that should be spent on the project itself.

So with that in mind, I plan on being a much more active blogger. For years, I've maintained this blog very sporadically and irregularly. It's purpose was to have a location online to post various writings I've done(like any blog, I suppose), but now it has a new purpose. In an effort to curb my time wasting tendencies, it's going to become a deadline, starting with regular updates. There's no mission statement or declarations of intent(beyond what I just said...)

I can only be me, so I'll probably just be writing about music and comic books and, if I'm being honest with myself, cats. And if I don't succeed, I'll just delete it from the internet and it'll be like it never happened!