If not now, when?

I was talking to a friend the other day, who wanted to know when I find time to go to school, write, run, keep up with facebook (the ultimate time-suck), and still have time leftover for my friends and family.

The honest answer is that I'm frequently overwhelmed. The stress typically coincides with the waves of exams every three or four weeks. This past week? I was totally swamped. Hence the lack of new short stories and blog posts.

We can all find justifications for why we don't do the things that matter to us. And those justifications can range from bullsh*t excuse to very valid reason. ("I just wasn't feeling with it that day" versus "I had three exams that day").

But here's the thing. If something is really important -- you want to write a book or run a marathon -- you have to fit it in. You have to make it work. You can only take so many shortcuts. For me, the number of excuses a person will make for not doing something they claim they "want to do" really says something about their true commitment and dedication.

In other words, like my Dad says, "Shit or get off the pot." Do it or shut up about it. I know so many "one-day" writers (one-day as in, "One day I'll be a writer") who never amount to anything.

I didn't have time to write the novels I did. In fact, the first book was pieced together from e-mails that I wrote and sent to myself when I had a few minutes of downtime at work. Instead of surfing the net for ten minutes while waiting for a phone call, I wrote five or six paragraphs. Over time, it became a novel. And if that's what you have to do, then do it.

I don't want to sound negative about this. I just want people to be happy and do what they need to do to get there. If not now, when? Just admit that the reasons you're not doing something are excuses. Cut the excuses and get moving.

At any rate, I need to go transfer some notes I scribbled at the bar while waiting for my friend. It's all about making the best of your time. Every time.

Have a beautiful weekend!!