You know how many hours I spend at work? Ten. That's not counting the one hour on the road going to the office and the two hours going back. In total, I spend 13 hours away from my creative pursuits. That still leaves me with 11 hours of my day. But then, 7 hours of that is spent sleeping. So really, I only have four hours of the day to do the things that aren't dictated by my paycheck.
Sadly,the day job can sap the energy (and the time) to do things we truly like. So what do we do with those precious 4 hours of "me" time? I truly hope it's not spent sitting in front of the television or the computer - unless blogging is your form of recreation.
How many days has it been since you last tinkered your bike / read that book / wrote a poem / painted a picture / baked a pie / taken a photo /(activity which brings you joy)?
I'm making a resolution to do the things I like after work - as if I was getting paid to do them. I resolve to do them with the same urgency and enthusiasm I put into accomplishing my deliverables at work. I have to think of it this way because otherwise, I will succumb to inertia - and the days, weeks, months and years will pass me by without me spending time to nourish my soul.
This is one of the most important reasons why our bodies should be in optimum condition - so that we have enough stamina and energy at the end of the workday to pursue, create and reconnect with the people and things that matter. A sickly constitution robs you of time and energy. So eat your vegetables, get enough sleep, get your heart pumping, drink lots of water and quit smoking already. (And enough griping about your boss - that's not good for your health, either.)
To my fellow nine-to-fivers, please don't let your day jobs get in the way of joy. Life's too short not to be spent in pursuit of dreams.
