Most of us can’t manage to pull things off as we would like to, can we? I mean I don’t know about you but I have so much to do, 24 hours hardly ever seem enough. Oh there are plenty of blog posts out there telling you to write about how should be useful to others by giving something of value and they are always writing cool stuff with catchy titles. But those article writers usually seem to be concentrated on one stuff. Writing and/or exercising and throw in some time for your family and you are set. Come on! Since when is it that simple? I am doing my best to manage time, yet 24 hours seem barely enough. Let’s lay it all out:
*Dreams:
– What do you dream of? I don’t mean what you see when you are asleep. What do you want to do – What do you want to become more than anything else in your life? If you want to do something that seems rather hard to achieve and do that something on your own- be it trying to make it as an artist/musician/actor/film-maker/writer…, it is a full-time job trying to map out a career plan and figuring out how the hell you are going to finance yourself along the way. I want to e a full-time writer and a film-maker and actually act out my favorite parts. And once I get there (the attitude has to be when, not if), I know I’ll make money out of my dreams but how to get there in the first place seems to be the issue; especially if you have a strong sense of what you want to do. And if you want to make movies in a country other than your own, you have work& residence permit issues which is totally a drag on your own. Oh, and you are not going to be granted one easily, especially if you are not a student. And if you want to be a student, it costs even more money. Have you checked out the costs lately? Which brings us to our second issue: Money.
* Money vs time vs freedom
– How do you make the money to support the dream and yourself? Full-time jobs- especially ones that aren’t related to the area of your desires are total buzz killers. Trust me I tried. It doesn’t mean so much that you are earning some money if you don’t have the time to enjoy it, or don’t have the freedom to deal with the pre-work required to work for your dreams (like application,queries,interviews,writing…). Add traffic if you are commuting and well, you are screwed. Trust me, I know- I’ve been there.
* Health and Looks
Do you like to look good? I do. I feel amazing when I look my best. But looking good takes time, even for all the gorgeous male and female celebrities we see. The guys didn’t get those abs sitting on their asses and women well…most of them aren’t even naturally pretty. It takes exercise and healthy eating and time to pamper your self. So yeah, in between working on your art and trying to make money, you need time to look after your appearance. You need the time to cook or find good food – and I mean good for body and soul, not just for the soul- and find an exercise that doesn’t feel like an exercise; something that your body will feel like a natural necessity rather than an obligation. I found mine. But unfortunately going out dancing can be a challenge if all your friends are pub-loving people. Swimming is also great but for me the commute to the pool and the drying process takes so much time and I also feel so blissfully sleepy afterwards. Oh, and don’t forget the colds we seem to catch in the winter.
* Sleep:
– How many hours please you? Let’s say we are not one of those genius folks who figured out how to happily get the energy they need with only 4-5 hours. We need 7-8. Or even 8.5. That already takes 1/3 of the day!
* Traffic & Commute
– Do you live in a big city? Well, mine is one of the biggest in population and it is not small either so the traffic gives me nightmares. It even takes so much more time than it should. Even if all you have planned out is a cup of coffee with a pal, you still have to get on the road.
* Friends, Nightlife and Romance
Social life. I love going out, whether at night or in daylight. I love spending hours with my friends,just chatting away or drinking. I also love going out at night and who can deny the adrenaline you get from flirting with a hot stranger. Or you could be in a serious relationship,which means you need to devote quite sometime to the person you have welcomed to your life. Are you adding up all the hours we need? And we haven’t finished yet…
*Depression
– If you tend to have an overworking imagination, you probably have the tendency to get depressed. Not just the type of blues depicted in pop songs, but more like the nightmarish type that gave inspiration to some rocks songs and definitely grunge. Remember how happy Kurt Cobain was? No, I am not a fan. My favorite band is actually Bon Jovi. But depression happens to the both of us. If Jim Carrey went through it, it is only natural to expect to hit rock bottom once in a while. The upside is, we experience most feelings more strongly than the others and that helps us create. The downside is,the extremity of the blues can be suffocating. So in between the blocks we get into with our creations, the energy we lose to our not so perfect biology, we also have to maintain our sanity. Which can be tricky when life doesn’t go your way. And how often does life seem to go out its way to please you anyway?
* The people who love to try and change our minds
– Just today my dad was hinting I should get a regular job. And he means well. He also knows I am happy right where I’m- trying to make my dreams come true and living my life the way I want to. We all have people around us who seem to think that they know what’s best for us. People who think this is just a crazy phase. Or people who just get a kick of depressing others because they are miserable in their own lives… Whatever. People talk. As determined as we can be, it is still downright annoying that most people don’t respect the path you have chosen. You can learn to avoid them, or block out what they tell you but even that takes time and energy.
Have I left something out? Yeah.If you are married and/or with child(ren), your situation is a lot harder. Then there’s the housework…Or maybe you have to take care of an elderly relative too? Things are difficult enough when you can afford to be selfish. So seriously, how do we do it? How do we stay healthy, focused, good-looking, stress free, successful and driven? How do we multi-task and manage time to perfection? Of course we also need activities that are just for fun,just for the minute…So what do I suggest? I am a little hyper so maximizing action and living in the fast lane works for me. I talk fast,move fast,get stuff done fast. I read on the public transport, I write whenever I’m alone. Of course I am forced to slow down at times, like when I get sick or the stuff I need to do involves other people. But I try to make the best of the mere 24 hours I’ve. Coffee helps. Dancing myself to the oblivion gives me thrills and burns me calories. Am I always successful? Hell,no. Look at the title. But I’ll be damned if I let anyone or anything steer my course…