"I Got Stupid. The Money Was Too Good." -Jayne Cobb

[alanajoli]

Every so often, I pull a Jayne.

I look at my schedule, I look at the assignments that are available, I look at the promised paycheck outcome, and I think, I can do that. Really. I totally can.

This is particularly problematic when your body insists that you need naps regularly.

Very luckily for me, this isn't the kind of offense that can get me thrown out of an airlock. It's just the kind of offense that creates stress and causes irritability (two things that, you may suspect, also come along hand in hand with being pregnant -- and are enhanced by having a very, very warm office the last few days).

I know other folks who do this same kind of thing -- biting off more than they can chew -- when it's their own creative work on the line instead. They've got so many stories waiting to come out that it's hard to discipline their muses and not take them all on at once.

How about you, dear readers? What is that temptation that causes you to over fill your schedule?

Comments

[notadoor.livejournal.com]

Overtime. Oh yes, overtime. I worked 59.5 hours last week because I couldn't say no.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Good god, woman! I hope it's time-and-a-half. :)

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

No temptations--no money--but the teenagers overfill it with extra driving, cooking, cleaning.

[inspirethoughts.livejournal.com]

The chances of adding something to my wardrobe or bank gives me temptation to take over more schedule. But, I have reduced that lately.

[tltrent.livejournal.com]

Wanting to be helpful. I literally have to force myself to stop looking at other people's ms/synopses/query letters, etc., b/c I end up spending inordinate amounts of time on it and neglecting my own stuff.

[orryn-emrys.livejournal.com]

My true Achilles' Heel is gaming... I always seem to have more games going on than I can really keep up with. And I have a busy life... a full-time job, a family, weekly jams sessions with my band... prepping two or three weekly game sessions for my players can be grueling.

Does that count?

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

It definitely does. I was involved in five campaigns for a little while in June/July, and I have to say, I was relieved when one ended, one sort of dissolved, and one has petered out a bit. Gaming is wonderful -- but I was a little overwhelmed with the amount of social time!

[lyster.livejournal.com]

Friends and housemates, durn 'em! I love the people I live with, which makes it very hard to walk upstairs, close the door, and write sometimes. This wasn't a problem until recently, when I got a day job, because I could get all my Work done during the day and only rarely had small-w work (the paying, non-writing kind) to compete with it for time. Now, I'm learning how to discipline myself.

[alanajoli.livejournal.com]

Heh, you inspired a whole new blog post, sir. Many thanks. :)