I Did Not Write Yesterday: What You Should Not Do When You Skip a Day of Writing
What most writers don’t do when they miss a day…
I did not write yesterday.
For the first time in a while I skipped a day of writing.
Why?
I was distracted.
After spending hours playing chess on lichess, I was super tired. I could not get myself to type or write anything meaningful before falling asleep.
The real enemy is distraction.
For many writers, distraction is the enemy. Not writers block, not even lack of ideas, but distraction.
However the fascinating thing is, I did not feel bad about not writing. Here is why.
Recently I am learning to stop berating myself for not ticking off all of the items on my to-do list. I am currently reading Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman. And my biggest revelation so far, is learning to accept the truth that all humans are limited.
No matter how effective or productive we are, there will always be things that we will not be able to make time for. And we are not to beat ourselves up, but take responsibility for making the hard choices. We must be okay with making sacrifices.
“A limit-embracing attitude to time means organizing your days with the understanding that you definitely won’t have time for everything you want to do, or that other people want you to do- and so, at the very least, you can stop beating yourself up for failing.” — Oliver Burkeman
It is not sad, it’s the fact.
You will not be able to make time for everything every day. It just will never happen.
You should not feel bad about that.
However, coming to terms with that reality should teach you to give your time to things that truly matter and are of true value to you. For me this includes things like faith, family, and writing.
I am reminded of the prayer of the Prophet Moses from the Bible, “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”
Coming to terms with that reality frees you of that compulsive desire for control.
Time is sufficient for those who are not so busy trying to collar it.
