Star Wars III and How I Get This Done
Today was a disaster in terms of writing. It's a stupid, ridiculous story involving my significant other who has visions of adding a room onto this already beautiful house inviting a salesman into MY home to sit and blather on for THREE hours about constructing a room I will never add for a PRICE I will never, ever pay unless I win the lottery while simultaneously having a lobotomy or becoming addicted to crack. I can't tell you how furious I was because the line of bullshit the salesman attempted to sell in my kitchen was distracting, though I refused to even go in there and listen to the horse manure being shoveled. Three hours of my life I can NEVER get back.
Which brings me to Star Wars III (bear with me on the relationship to the story above). When I went to that movie with two of my best friends, I sighed and checked my watch through the whole thing. I just logged onto IMDB. Run time of 140 minutes I can NEVER get back. I hate George Lucas.
Which brings me to my writing. Most people look at me like I had the aforementioned lobotomy, or like I am smoking something, when I tell them I have four kids, let alone four kids, a house full of pets, and a career as a novelist. When they hear I write three books a year they think I am REALLY smoking something. Toss in all the other things I choose to do--visiting museums and taking up new hobbies--and that I do not--and never have had--a nanny, and do not--and have not--used daycare--and it REALLY sounds insane.
But there IS a method to my madness. I cut the extra bullshit. I slice and dice my life so that I don't often have those 140-minute run times of wasted brain matter. I don't invite salesmen in. I don't even answer my phone usually. I don't socialize with "acquaintances"--I have deep friendships so I don't need the cocktail party set. I don't watch TV unless it is something I deeply enjoy (my new passion is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel--and I have decided I want to run away with him, if you happen to know him). I don't read magazines--even in a waiting room--because I nearly always have something else I would rather be reading. I don't waste time, period.
I don't run errands. Hate them. I would rather order everything on the Internet. I don't clothes shop. I don't shoe shop. Fun pursuits if you like to shop--but I know my size and the Internet or catalogs is fine and I don't have to get in a car and spend time on the road. The store comes to me. Christmas shopping? Click and purchase.
PLAYING doesn't count in this scheme of mine. In other words, taking time to color with my kids or play in the leaves, or walk the puppies, or play chess with my son, or lie in my bed with my angels watching some old movie on AMC is NOT wasting time. That's the stuff I live FOR. It's the rest of it I can do without.
So it may seem like a really bizarre way to look at things, but in truth, I excise all that is not mindful and purposeful and playful. And that leaves me enough time to do it all--or at least a healthy chunk.
So what do you excise from your life to reach your goals--whatever they may be?
Which brings me to Star Wars III (bear with me on the relationship to the story above). When I went to that movie with two of my best friends, I sighed and checked my watch through the whole thing. I just logged onto IMDB. Run time of 140 minutes I can NEVER get back. I hate George Lucas.
Which brings me to my writing. Most people look at me like I had the aforementioned lobotomy, or like I am smoking something, when I tell them I have four kids, let alone four kids, a house full of pets, and a career as a novelist. When they hear I write three books a year they think I am REALLY smoking something. Toss in all the other things I choose to do--visiting museums and taking up new hobbies--and that I do not--and never have had--a nanny, and do not--and have not--used daycare--and it REALLY sounds insane.
But there IS a method to my madness. I cut the extra bullshit. I slice and dice my life so that I don't often have those 140-minute run times of wasted brain matter. I don't invite salesmen in. I don't even answer my phone usually. I don't socialize with "acquaintances"--I have deep friendships so I don't need the cocktail party set. I don't watch TV unless it is something I deeply enjoy (my new passion is Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations on the Travel Channel--and I have decided I want to run away with him, if you happen to know him). I don't read magazines--even in a waiting room--because I nearly always have something else I would rather be reading. I don't waste time, period.
I don't run errands. Hate them. I would rather order everything on the Internet. I don't clothes shop. I don't shoe shop. Fun pursuits if you like to shop--but I know my size and the Internet or catalogs is fine and I don't have to get in a car and spend time on the road. The store comes to me. Christmas shopping? Click and purchase.
PLAYING doesn't count in this scheme of mine. In other words, taking time to color with my kids or play in the leaves, or walk the puppies, or play chess with my son, or lie in my bed with my angels watching some old movie on AMC is NOT wasting time. That's the stuff I live FOR. It's the rest of it I can do without.
So it may seem like a really bizarre way to look at things, but in truth, I excise all that is not mindful and purposeful and playful. And that leaves me enough time to do it all--or at least a healthy chunk.
So what do you excise from your life to reach your goals--whatever they may be?
Labels: time management
posted by Erica Orloff at 7:25 PM
14 Comments:
I don't do much but work and write and eat and read. Eye on the ball, gotta do what you gotta do, and all that. DH sits and reads with me while I write, so it's a bit of QT, and we eat dinner together.
Other than that ... I would like to fit more time in to visit with my local friends.
I work a full-time suckass stressful job, and have my wonderful teenage son two days a week.
And I write.
Other than a weekly tennis match, and my online pals, I've given up any semblance of a social life.
But I typed THE END on my manuscript ealier this evening, and it's one of the most marvelous feelings in the world.
May I join you now, for that lobotomy?
Come to think of it, I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
But it's all good, babe. You know?
Spy:
It's amazing how, when we boil it down, life can be so directed and simple . . .
Happy New Year!
THE END!!!!!!!!!!!! Bravo!!!!!!
Champagne all around the blog!
E
Just one glass of bubbly for me.
Of course, my glass is the size of a birdbath. ;)
Thanks, sweetheart.
I gave up 9 to 5-ing in the 'real' world to work at home...for my dh :0. Had a decent enough paying job and many of my acquaintances thought I'd lost my freakin' mind, but oddly enough I never viewed it as a sacrifice. Unbeknownst to them, I'm not a fashion/gossip/do-lunch kinda gal. I'm quite happy (forgive me Vidal Sassoon) to pop a baseball cap over my bed-head and dress every day in jeans and t-shirts older than my kids.
I don't shop for clothes or shoes, seldom watch tv and socializing is restricted to the closest few and family. Again, not a sacrifice. Gotta get the phone so we can put food on the table, but I've managed to school my split personality so I can quickly step out of 'keyboard' mode and into 'hvac info' mode, so when the words flow, I can USUALLY get 'em down. And I'm lucky. Not sure I could do that if I only had X hours in the day at X time of day to write. Especially with a babe running amok. I'm impressed. You've definitely 'honed your zone' Erica!
Woo hoo, Jude! See what you get for blog-hoppin' in the morning? A champagne breakfast. No worries, I'll mix mine with orange juice. Everyone knows vitamin C cancels out the damaging effects of alcohol :)
lainey:
Yes--we're alike in that way. Not the HVAC thing (impressive--I am lucky I can FIND my thermostat) but in that I can get in that zone pronto. I have to.
E
P.S. Lainey--the vitamin c thing and alcohol--same thing with green olives in martinis. :-)
I consider a Bloody Mary health food. :)
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who doesn't answer the phone. 9 times out of 10 it's for the chick magnet anyway LOL
I'll admit I love to shop but I hate the hastle of it sometimes so online shopping is a great balance.
Hi Amie:
I just hate the phone. HATE IT. I really work hard to cultivate my "space"--and I invite in those I like and love. And the phone just intrudes. I use Caller ID religiously, but even then, I just sometimes go through days where I just don't want to talk. Nothing megative . . . just don't want to.
E
Cleaning.
That's what I give up, until it really can't be let go anymore. Even then, I make it part of "family time" on weekends and not writing time or family time during the week, which is hectic and short enough.
I admit, I feel batted back and forth between those who, like you, say life is too short to do things we hate (socialize, public speaking, talking on the telephone are all mine) and those who say we won't grow if we don't push beyond our comfort zones.
I like your way better. :)
natalie:
I have blogged before . . . my cleaning lady and her wonderful family are essential to my sanity. I adore her.
I am not adverse to stretching my comfort zones--I have on my "to do" list for next week to call the local university about taking a documentary film-making course--something I want to do. BUT, cleaning toilets and scrubbing floors and lots of other things don't make my list and I am happy to pay a fair wage to people who can help me do those things I despise. Amen to them!!!!
E
I gave up television last fall...completely for 3 months. Now I watch only my favs, Medium, CSI (the original), The Closer, and an occasional Cold Case. Eliminating the time I watched TV opened up a huge chunk of time for me. Now, instead of surfing with the remote, or on the net for that matter, I write. It's amazing how much I'm able to produce now.
kathy:
I did the same thing--I didn't consciously do it--I was just very busy amd gradually, I stopped watching anything. Shows I once loved--like LOST--I started to hate anyway. So . . . I stopped watching. Now, I watch Bourdain's program, and I will occasionally TiVo something. Like I will watch the Amazing Race with my kids and my mom . . . more for the places they go and see.
E
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