Just 15 Minutes a Day

Lately, it's been almost impossible to get me to pick up a laptop or pen when I get home from work. As a writer, writing for pleasure has seemed to fade into some far away distance, but I'm dying to talk about the important stuff outside of work, too. If only I could just find the time...

Prior to my days at a desk job from 8:30AM to 5:30PM, I would find times in the day to write things down for myself. Whether they were quotes or some witty line I thought of when procrastinating on projects, I always felt like my mind was "free."

These days, it's been difficult to whip out a pen and notepad to write down a grocery list. Am I going crazy? Am I losing my mind? Where do all those words go when I need them to appear?

But then I realized something.

It had been well over two months since I last tried to write for me and me only. I haven't written anything in my iPhone notes or in my beloved journals. My favorite pens were left collecting dust on my desk.

If only I had spent 15 minutes every single day using my head for something that wasn't so transactional, that wasn't just for serious business reasons, maybe I could find space in my mind to think for myself and create one of the world's greatest works. Maybe I could tell a story that made a difference.

And then I came across a colleague who shared something with me about her craft, "I realized that if I wasn't working on my skill every day for myself, I was regressing. It became hard to start again without procrastinating or making excuses."

After she said that to me, I started making the change. Picking up the pen or grabbing a hold of my laptop to explore the places I've been and the places I want to go. Even if it's just me at the kitchen counter taking notes about what I saw late in evening from my garden or walking the dog along a trail at sunset. And you know what?

It's been easier to write for work. My brain works with a little less friction and uses my perspective outside of work to bring in fresh ideas.

So if there's one thing I recommend, it's to make time for your craft away from work. Take time to hone in on the skills you love to grow them in a space outside of the office. You'll find that the real world has a way of circling back and giving you more than a creativity rush, but work that's worth something.