There are a lot of things I want to do with my life. There are a lot of things I want to do this year. Shit, there are a lot of things I want to do this month. WHERE ARE MY LISTS? WHERE IS MY SHERPA TO CARRY ALL MY LISTS? WHY AM I YELLING ABOUT LISTS? I want to write a book. I want to write a series of essays about being a recovering perfectionist for my fellow perfectionists. I want to be a better blogger and learn how to tango and how to saute vegetables without sending half of them arcing across the kitchen in a soy sauce splatter ballet. I want to build a body of work that helps make the world better.
But I'm both keenly ambitious and brutally lazy. So in order to write that book, I have to choose which side I'm going to let win. If I'm being honest, I've definitely been a gold medalist in couch slothing the past few weeks.
I WIN AT SLOTH.
So starting tonight, I'm going to take a picture at 7:37 p.m. Every day for a month. If I'm supposed to be working but am actually on Twitter, I have to digitally fess up. If I'm on a date, I have to explain my bizarre little project and hope he doesn't mind that I'm pulling out my phone and taking a picture of the ketchup bottle. If I'm exercising, if I'm watching TV or watching soy sauce fly across the kitchen. Whatever I'm doing at 7:37 in the evening gets documented.
Goal
To get a literal snapshot of how I spend my time. That's information I can use to make changes or just be all smug about how productive I am. It's also a good daily marker. What's different, what stays the same, what might change as I do this.
If you want to follow along, I'm amberadrian on Instagram. I make no promises as to how interesting my life will be at 7:37 in the evening, but you'll at least get some pictures of dog wrestling and toenail painting.
Here's My Question For You, If You're In The Mood For Answering Random Questions From a Girl Who Plays a Panda on the Internet
Is there something you really deeply, madly, truly want to do with your life? Are you doing it?
If not, why? If not now, when? I vote you make it now. Because the world needs whatever you've got.
Fine, One More Question
What have you got? I really want to know. What do you want to do, make, build, be? If you aren't comfortable putting it in the comments, send me an email. (The email button's on there somewhere. I just realized I don't have one on the blog. Internet fail.)
Whatever it is, I think you should do it.
I'm not necessarily recommending that everyone take a picture of their 7:37 p.m. for a month - but if you want to, please feel free. And let me know so I can follow you. But if there's something you can do to make more space in your life to be creative or study for the GREs or write that epic poem, DO THAT SHIT. Unless you already are. In which case, TELL US HOW. WHY ARE YOU SO AMAZING AND HOW CAN WE SIPHON THAT ACTION FROM YOUR PORES?
Also, ew. No siphoning of anything from any bodily organs. Sorry.
I'm going to write more about making space in your life on Thursday - also known as why I gave up my friends in the TV and why I spent all day yesterday with a big, fat headache. But for now, I need to go write some essays and set my alarm for 7:37 and hope I'm doing something vaguely entertaining so I don't have to take a picture of soy sauce.