On reading, writing, and reprioritizing

One of the newsletters I subscribe to popped into my inbox this morning. My first thought was, ‘I will make time to read that today.’

A few years ago I trained myself to give up saying, “I don’t have the time.” I couldn’t lie about it anymore. I have the time. If I don’t do something (like, read a newsletter I opted in to receive or, say, unload the dishwasher), it’s because it isn’t a priority to me. Instead, I say, “I haven’t made the time.” Because that’s the truth; I make time to do what’s important. As in, most days I carve out time to go for a run (it’s good for my heart, but also for my creativity) and cook (more on that topic here). Every day I carve out time to write, eat (note the differentiation from cooking), sleep (my brain works much better when I do), and read. 

Reading, for a writer, is as essential as food and sleep. I make time to consume what others write because their writing fuels my writing. When I read a book, I am reading for pleasure, yes, but also for craft. For structure. For lessons in formulating dialogue. And, always, for identifying what it is that makes me care about a character. 

I’ve read 41 books (so far) this year. Of those books, the stories that have stuck are the ones where I get to know the characters; where I care about what happens to them. When I’m across the room from the closed book on my coffee table, thinking about how soon I can return to their world—that’s how I know I’m invested. Would it be weird to say, I think of them as my friends? (It would, but alas…) To me, these characters are real people—and that’s my True North on good writing.

And so I make the time to read (books, newsletters, and the like) because it helps me perfect my own craft. I read, to write.

Making time for what’s important to us makes us happier humans. All of us (but especially Americans) are obsessed with being busy. But, being busy serves no one. JOMO (i.e., joy of missing out) is the new FOMO (i.e., fear of missing out) because we’re realizing the power of self-care. The more we’re able to say no to the superfluous, the more time we free up to say yes to our own priorities—e.g., supporting our mental health, creativity, and freedom.

Making time for what’s important helps you find subtle hints of inspiration, more pockets of joy, and more avenues to reach our goals. Indeed, training yourself to give up what doesn’t resonate minimizes your distractions from—and optimizes your chances for—heeding your own True North. 

Hint: That goes for leisure and for craft.

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Supplemental reading: My last newsletter, ICYMI. Also, one of my favorite books (of all time) on heeding your internal compass, The Alchemist.

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