I’ll be honest, I’m terrible when it comes to organizing my time and life. I let the things I care about the most get pushed to the side in my zealous pursuit of success in life. But, success isn’t always everything.
Far too many times I’ve missed out on a wonderful memory because I wasn’t willing to put aside the things that were demanding yet not fulfilling. I’m starting to realize that sometimes it’s OK to set aside the 1,000 essay to hang out with friends or to ignore the math problem that just won’t make sense and read the book that has been sitting on your shelf for far too long.
It is good to be challenged in life, and, in a way, stress is also good. But it should not consume you and ruin the other many things you genuinely love and take pleasure in! For me, that is so hard to wrap my head around as I am an over-achiever who won’t settle for anything less than perfect.
Perfect is overrated when it is only affecting you for the worse.
You may be wondering how this has anything to do with my writing, but it actually has a lot to do with it. I love writing. It’s a way of venting, of fashioning unique worlds my brain has deemed interesting enough to type onto a computer. It allows me to breath life into characters who will never be alive except in my own head. It’s such an utterly amazing feeling to write “The End” and realize that you did it. You created an entire universe complete with laws, people, and a land that is entirely its own.
So, yes, I love writing. But lately I haven’t been writing. Why? Well, because I’ve been prioritizing the wrong things. I am by no means saying school is bad, because it’s not. But when you allow grades, scores, and simply success to flood every aspect of your life, then there’s an issue.
Here’s the truth: grades aren’t everything in life. That essay you only got a C+ on isn’t going to kill you. Taking the time to enjoy life isn’t going to make you a failure. Tell your friends you’ll hang out with them this week, finish that chapter you’ve been writing for weeks now, and sleep in on a Saturday. There is nothing wrong with balancing your school and social lives.
On that note, though, don’t give school/work (whatever you’re busy with) no attention at all. They’re still vital aspects of life. Finding that balance is challenging, I know that, but with much prayer, some careful planning, and realizing that sometimes letting things go is good, you can find that middle ground.
So, my goal as the end of the school year approaches for me is to write more. To live more. To love more. I’m going to prioritize my writing and give it the attention it deserves. I’m going to try and not stress about success, about how good of a grade I have, or worry about the lack of sleep I’ve been getting. I’m simply going to try my hardest. And if my hardest isn’t perfect, then that is perfectly fine.
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