December 2 – Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

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My writing.  I never thought of myself as an author or a writer, however seeing I am authoring my blog, and my story to www.thenextfamily.com, I just might be a writer after all. 

There are many things that do not contribute to my writing.  I can say that my life gets in the way of my writing.  My responsibilities of being a parent get in the way of my writing because by the time I’ve finished all chores just to meet our basic needs, it’s close to bed-time for me.  Most nights I will stay up later than I need to be to do some writing or reading, which has a downward spiral effect on me the next day.  Then I am so tired from the night before that I go to bed without ever opening the laptop or even writing on a piece of paper. 

I don’t know if there is something I can eliminate since I am just doing what it takes to maintain right now.  But I think I could definitely add something that would encourage me to write more.  Though there is a catch-22.  I feel bad if I want to take an hour or two to run to Kohl’s or Target to do some shopping, getting errands done, that I will leave this huge mark on Max for not being with him.  I am gone from him close to 10 hours a day, how can I leave him again so that I can get something accomplished in less time than if he were with me? 

Though in my head I would LOVE to take the two hours a week and do just that.  Go run an errand or go to a bookstore, library or coffee shop with my laptop and just write.  Does that make me a bad parent for wanting one evening to myself?  How will that impact Max?  Will we still have our close bond if someone else were to put him to bed one night a week? 

Maybe this is something I explore in 2011.  Maybe this is something I just do at home after Max goes to bed, skip the chores for one night.  Life isn’t going to fall apart at the seams if the laundry is folded and put away.