It’s Thursday, and as we all know by now, Thursdays are the best days. Why are they best? It’s best not to question them. They get cranky. And rumor has it someone gave them the launch codes.

Thursdays are for the Weekly Motivational!

Last week I talked and talked and talked and talked about repetition and how it can be useful in your writing. Last week I talked and talked and –

Sorry. Recalibrating.

Sometimes you get very busy, and the things you thought you had time for in your professional life start to stack up and tower over you like a stack of items that can be stacked taller than you. 

I work a full-time day job every week. I write 1000 words a day on my own personal stories. I have shady business deals in back rooms of Chinese restaurants. I read and critique stories for friends and acquaintances. I have two blog posts a week. I have brainstorming help that I am often on hand to deliver. I have professional writing.

And sometimes, those things can build up and overwhelm you, steal all your free time that you might otherwise get to use for watching paint dry and little children trip on the playground.

Don’t judge my hobbies. Well, maybe do.

Point is, there are only so many hours in a day, and when you start making a bunch of commitments it can become incredibly hard to do it all. In the short term you can certainly make it all work by sacrificing other activities and plans. Or sleep. No one really needs that, anyway, right? But it’s not healthy to burn the candle from both ends as they say. Gotta make time for relaxing and chilling out. Gotta make time for your significant other or children if you’ve captured them.

Becoming overtaxed is easy to do, and the main point I could bring up here is that you have to know your capabilities and when it’s okay to push your limits. Don’t take on more than you can possibly get done just because you don’t want to disappoint someone.

Commit to what you know you can do and do it. If extra stuff comes along the way, great. If you can make the time for it, awesome. But don’t overwhelm yourself. There’s no easier way to fail and burnout than to just do too much.

Keep yourself able and taxed just the right amount, and always remember to write the hell on.