Slice of Life: How Writing is like Going to the Gym

   
          The number one excuse to not do something is that you don't have time for it. All of us are busy and our lives are full of things to do. How we choose to spend our time should be a matter of priorities, but many of us don't always prioritize. Many of us end up spending time on small things or time sucking, time wasting things such as addictive games or social media obsessions. Some of us are readers and can lose ourselves for hours on end in a good book. While this isn't exactly a waste of our time, in many instances we are taking those hours without really thinking about the things that we might be choosing not to do.

      Making the time to do something good for you is sometimes really hard. A good example is taking the time to go to the gym. If you have ever established a schedule for this, you will know that it is indeed possible and everyone can find the time if they try. But it is so hard to do this at first. It feels like you are robbing yourself of time for other things. Once you have the habit of going to the gym, your life adjusts around it and it doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore. But then, if you get sick or for some other reason stop going as regularly for a little while, it can feel like a huge hurdle to get back to the routine. Everyone understands that working out is good for you. You even probably feel awesome when you are finished working out, but it still takes a lot of willpower to establish the routine and really make the time for it.

     Writing is the same way for me. I know it is good for me. I even feel really good after spending time writing. But I still have a hard time adding it to my routine. I am still in those early stages of having to convince myself that it is worth giving up that time each day. Many times, I need to drag my butt to the chair to write. I have established a daily routine before, but then other things happened and I stopped. Now, I am confronting that hurdle of time and how I choose to spend it. Luckily, I know that prioritizing my time is important. I choose to make the time to write because it is important to me. Just as I choose to make the time to get to the gym. Both of these things will make me healthier. Now, I just have to stick to it.