Here is a dilemma. Which ones do you do first: The things you want to – you know, those projects that set your thoughts on fire and you feel all restless until you churn through them one by one – or the things you have to, chores, to be more precise.
If it’s by choice, then I definitely do the ones I want to, unless the stuff I have to cannot possibly wait. It’ll have to be a starving child with no food in sight or a burning house. Why so, you might ask? Because one too many times I planned to write down my ideas after finishing my chores. Well, by the time the last plate was washed and dried and the last speck of dust – yes, I am exaggerating, but still – was gone and done with, my energy was low and the momentum long lost. So my promised time with my burning thoughts was gone. The energy wave was no longer there for me to ride. So what, you’ll say, creative waves come back. They do, but it’s just not the same.
Has that ever happened to you? If it did, you understand my frustration. And my dilemma. I love playing with my boys – and no, this is definitely not a chore, unless playing involves yet another round of me impersonating Han Solo, which I am not exactly brilliant at – and then I like doing stuff around the house, cooking yummy vegetarian food, for example, but there is something that only happens every now and then and it has to be honoured when it happens. Or else. That something is a creativity wave taking me to wild places. And if you’ve been there, you know what I mean. That is one wave I have to ride on.
So unless we’re talking about a life and death situation, which I hope will never be the case to be honest, I will do my best to do the things I want to before the ones I have to. Life is too short and time too precious to be spent mostly in the "have to" zone. A grey zone, If you ask me. I like color, and lots of it!
Whether you agree or disagree, please share your thoughts. Off to hunt those specks of dust now…