The freedom of a schedule

Schedule is just another word for commitment. At least that’s how I see it. The freedom to do whatever I want whenever I want, without limit or constraint, is (a) nothing I’ve yet experienced in life and (b) not something for which I (currently) long.

What I do long for is the freedom to set my own schedule. And that would be a schedule that has my own writing at its core, the promotion of my own writing as a major component, and the development and delivery of my own workshops as a key priority.

Ah, well. I’m not there yet. So. What can I do in the meantime? Duh! Set my own schedule within the constraints of my full-time job commitment, of course.

This means, first and foremost, taking myself seriously as a writer, as someone whose words can and should be carried out into the world for readers to find. I’m working my way towards this state: slowly, steadily, surely. With each post I publish, I own that identity a little tiny bit more.

And it’s all connected, of course. If I see myself as a writer, than I will write. And if I write, then I will have posts to publish. The more I write, the stronger my sense of identity as writer takes root.

I’m not yet at the point where a fixed writing schedule is possible; the vagaries of my day job pull me off course. But I am looking ahead to January, the beginning of a new term, that will see my teaching load reduced and, thus, my mind space open up. I hereby commit to (a) practice a steady writing schedule between now and then and (b) to have a firm writing schedule in place come January 2019.

There. Done. I’ve put my commitment into words and I’ve posted those words out into the world, and those are two good first steps towards giving myself the freedom of a schedule that will help me shape my time and meet my objective of being a writer Writer.