Dear Reader,
March is here, and with it, the cold. I'm not shocked. Also I have become aware that I begin most of these posts by talking about either what day it is or what the weather is like...in this case, both. Am I terribly boring? Is that it? Or maybe I'm just "super f@cking white." Do those things invariably mean the same thing? Anyways, I know I haven't posted in a while, but believe it or not, that's been a good thing. Not that I don't enjoy our time together, dear reader, but as I've told you, this blog was reserved for my ramblings and incoherent babbling in order to stretch my writing muscles in the morning. YOU KNEW WHAT THIS WAS.
Lately, I've been so damned motivated and inspired that I've gone straight to writing to my primary projects without the need of morning pages, so I guess you could say this outlet is doing good things for me! I think a lot of my productivity has come out of a conscious shift I have made in my daily routine. I've made an effort to cut distractions to a minimum so I can focus on the goals I set for myself.
I was wondering dear reader, what are the distractions in your life that can sometimes get in the way of our creative process?
I'd like to share something with you. I was raised Catholic. We could go all into the influence Catholicism has had, positives, negatives, on western culture as a whole and drive one another crazy, but basically why I'm telling you this is that Ash Wednesday was yesterday, and though I don't observe the liturgical calender as a rite throughout the year, I still celebrate the major holidays with my family to partake in traditions, which, I believe, is the main foundation to any and all religions anyway. So being aware of the Lenten season, I've decided to partake in lent, and "give something up."
The thing I'm "sacrificing" is social media; Facebook in particular. I have to say, dear reader, it doesn't really feel like much of a sacrifice. I'm absolutely loving the sense of freedom I'm feeling without Facebook in my life. It made me realize how completely addicted I've become to it. Studies show that social media is just addictive as a hard drug like cocaine. Without trying to excuse my sloth or paint our society as a generation of hopeless victims,we do have a battle to fight. It's the battle of consumption versus consciousness that we are fighting-- the idea that this vast sea of information is relentlessly undulating into our brains at a rate never seen before. I'm susceptible to it certainly, to the point where I sometimes feel so anxious and hopelessly overwhelmed that I don't even know why I'd bother trying to add my thoughts to the zeitgeist.
I've done this social media hiatus before. I'll tell you, after you come back you'll realize that you really didn't miss a damn thing. It's a humbling feeling that opens you up to the knowledge that the world keeps turning without you. You'll realize "Hey...I'm only here for a certain amount of time, so I'd like to spend it maybe going after some fulfillment and accomplishment."
So if you reach that point with any sort of vice: smoking, drinking, porn, television, internet...it's time to give that shit a rest. It's not that these things are inherently "bad" or "evil"... they are tools of pleasure and they just need to be used in moderation and not relied upon. Look at it this way. Everything you do during your daily routine is either helping you reach your goal, or not. We could examine or argue things like chores, making meals/eating, putting gas in your car, burning hours at your day job, these are all things that (although take up time) inevitably CAN help you achieve your goal. So try not to make the mistake that I did and resent everything you do that ISN'T writing, that's a dangerous game and it leads to self loathing, and hopeless anxiety. It's what you do with the free time that you DO have that matters. Are you binging episodes of the Office because you are "just so burnt out"? That's perfectly normal. Believe me. Relaxation and comfort is what we as a society strive for, right? But ultimately, doing things like binging Netflix episodes leave you unfulfilled if you aren't balancing them out with doing something creative. Maybe use those mindless things you enjoy as a reward system. "For every hour I spend organizing my thoughts or working on my personal projects, I will reward myself with a half hour episode of my favorite show." Be good to yourself, but don't overindulge.
I know it can be difficult, dear reader. But what it really takes is for you to assess your daily actions and say "is this activity bringing me closer to achieving my goals? Whatever those goals may be, that's up to you. And hey, maybe you feel comfortable with the amount of work you put in on a daily basis and feel that you deserve a little recreation and comfort-- in which case, you can ignore pretty much everything I've said because you are better at life than I am at the moment. Goody for you.
I've found recently that just SETTING conscious goals is a huge step towards achieving them. Write them down, bring your goals to life, then all of the sudden you'll be faced with them head on and have no choice but to get to work.
What things, dear reader, are keeping you from achieving your goals? Is your job sucking up all your time and leaving you unfulfilled? Are you spending too much time reloading your Facebook feed to see pictures of your hot friends on their vacation to Bora Bora, stalking your ex, or arguing with "Libtards"/"Bigots". Maybe these things inspire you in small doses, after all they are a part of life and cannot be ignored. But together dear reader, we can keep each other in check and make sure that life's distractions are not getting in the way of our goals.
Keep fighting the Good fight!
-CjM
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