I noticed an absurdity in my behaviour. In seeking to block off a perfect three hours a day with the sole purpose of writing songs, I’d end up writing less frequently than if I just committed to a relatively easy half an hour a day.
This is the fundamental problem with an ‘all or nothing approach’; it skews heavily towards the ‘nothing’. Largely by nature of the fact it requires so much time, willpower, organisational discipline, and doesn’t allow much scope for the inevitable volatilities of life (which, of course, are cruelly conspiring against all artists).
Undoubtedly, it feels good to think about an all or nothing approach. It feels like the answer. Plan to go big or go home. Plan for all or nothing. But the reality is, that probably isn’t happening. Because the ‘all’ is so intensive, and requires such large blocks of unadulterated time, that it encourages delay in and of itself.
It’s like a bucket, asking to be kicked down the road.
Much better to commit to something you can actually sustain than wait for that magic moment when you get to go all in. Because the chances are, that moment isn’t arriving. And if it does, it likely won’t last.
The Thoughts of Others
“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress.” – Viggo Mortensen
