September 8, 2012

How my Saturday got wrecked

I know, it's usually the Sunday blues you get before you have to go back to work the next day.

Well, the blues hit me today. I think I know why. And it's not just because of the rain we had, either.

When you're finally doing something you really enjoy -- for me, it's writing these short stories for Kindle -- it's really tough to think about what you HAVE to do (like, oh, make a living doing something else entirely).

Can you relate?

Maybe you have a hobby you wish you could turn into a business, so you could do it all the time instead of just on the weekends.

Maybe you're like me and have finally found something truly fun and satisfying that uses your best skills, and you're trying to devote all your "off" time to it -- so it can bring you income as well as a happier daily life. At least, that's my goal.

The thing about writing -- and maybe this is true for whatever you're interested in -- is that it doesn't understand the 9-to-5 clock. I'll be sitting at work in my office, which is literally smaller than a cubicle with no windows and a beige wall as my view, and I'll get struck by a new twist for The Pandora Chronicles and need to write it down. I sneakily pull up Google Drive on my computer and type it into a document I have saved for such moments. I've also become quite adept at concealing my Pandora notes while paying attention in business meetings.

So anyway, why did the blues hit me today? Because I felt such joy in working on the third Pandora Chronicles story for awhile, and I realized that I felt such ... "non-joy" yesterday at my job.

I don't want to feel such "non-joy" anymore. (I'm hesitating to call this feeling what it really is, because the word is just too awful to say out loud, even on a blog.)

And unfortunately, that realization today sent me into a funk. I did work on story no. 3, but then I cleaned the apartment, picked up the dry cleaning, and finally holed up in the bedroom knitting and watching "Disappeared" via Netflix streaming on my iPhone.

Oh, and then I wrote this blog post.

That's how my Saturday got wrecked: realizing how much of my Monday-through-Friday life is spent on non-joyful activities.

I gotta change that. Like, fast. Can you relate?

2 comments:

  1. I can totally relate!

    I'm having a mini-breakdown at the moment as I'm nine weeks into a new job and hating it. I feel like I'll never find a job I actually like because in my ideal world I'd sleep in late then spend the later part of the day and night in my own creative bubble.

    I'm a total night owl and much more productive while the rest of the world sleeps. I spent all day thinking about my short story but only sat down and started writing at gone midnight. Not conducive to a nine-to-five job.

    I just keep trying to remember that good things come to those who wait! As Bon Jovi say 'keep the faith' ;) I'm sure things will work out in the long run - lots of luck xx

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the comment, but wow, I'm sorry you're in that situation. That's awful.

      I can relate to your being a night owl, because I am, too. I can't figure out if it's because I truly work better later in the day, or if I just hate getting up in the morning to go to my "real" job. I think it's the latter.

      Someone who has inspired me in recent months is Marie Forleo. Do you know about her? She encourages people to pursue their entrepreneurial and creative dreams to design a business -- and life -- they love. Her website is www.marieforleo.com. (I think you may have to copy/paste that into a browser.)

      All my best to you, too. Come back again and let me know what's happening! -- M

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