Or should it read Time for Goals?

The school bell has rung and it’s back to work for me. And really, that’s all fine and dandy. What is looming over my head, though, is mass amounts of fear. Fear that my day job will take over my night job. Fear that I won’t get enough sleep. Fear that I’ll hate myself months from now when I look back and reflect on how little writing I’ve been able to accomplish. 

I’ve always been a goal setter. I like seeing the end and having something to work towards all while enjoying the journey (of course enjoying the journey, that’s what it’s all about, right?). But then I read other blogs about not setting goals and just going with the flow all the live long day. Hmm. What is a person to do? 

I fear that if I don’t set writing goals for while I’m back to working full-time that I’ll simply never accomplish a thing. 

Once those goals are set, when do I actually do the writing? Once I’ve cut the cord and made it back home, had dinner, spent time with the pooch, and gotten work out of my system I’m ready for bed. So, do I force myself to burn the midnight oil and write anyway at the time of day when my heart just isn’t into it. Or, do I rise around 4am and write what I can before having to rush off to work? 

I’ve read many strategies of how to balance a writing life along with a full-time job. Some very successful writers had to rise long before the rest of the world to get in their creative time before heading off to work. 

If they did it, I suppose I can, too. I want to be able to write when my mind is fresh and untouched by the world. To be able to go from the dream world to my own writing world is ideal. It takes too much effort some evenings to try to pry off the expectations of society in an attempt to get back to myself so I can write. Honestly, some days I just don’t have it in me. 

So, that’s the plan. I’m going to try to rise super early during the work week so I can write. It makes sense, really, since I seem to be naturally waking between 3 and 4 a.m. anyway. 

I didn’t accomplish much writing this week and I noticed a slight layer of dust collecting on the novel-whose-title-keeps-changing. Unacceptable. I’ve reacquainted myself with my story over the weekend and feel that I’m back on a roll. If I keep up the pace I had this weekend I should be able to finish my second draft by the end of the week. 

Time to go set my alarm for tomorrow. No excuses. 4 a.m.