I can’t say how many years it’s been, but for the better part of a more than a decade, I usually don’t answer the phone in the morning. Weekday or weekend, it doesn’t matter. That is my creative time, and I don’t want to be disturbed. It’s sacred. And it’s that moment when I acknowledge the ‘self’ in selfishness.
Dream Big
“Did your schedule change?” I was asked recently by a friend and former colleague. They had called one day, in the morning, and I didn’t answer. To be fair, my ringer and notifications are always off, so the only way I know if someone’s calling is if I have the phone in my hand when it rings. We connected later in the day, while I was on the train heading to work, and caught up. But I casually changed the subject and didn’t answer the question.
Selfishness required you to stand by your choices, and be courageous about the backlash. – Tim Grover ((Grover, T. (2021). W1NNING: The Unforgiving Race to Greatness, Scribner, New York, p. 124.))
As a writer, I recognize that my optimal time to create is the morning. Most people in my inner circle (including the person who asked if my schedule had changed) know that. And it’s not like I don’t sometimes answer a call, but in trying to write a novel I safeguard my time. I don’t apologize for that.
Respect the Self
Selfishness sometimes gets a bad rap. And that’s because of those individuals who take everything from everyone and give nothing back in return. But when you dream big, you need to focus on your self. You need to do what is necessary to get the work done, and that means determining who gets in and when. Because if you keep giving away your time, it’ll take longer to achieve your goals. Or worse, you risk getting derailed to the point when you start to ask, “What’s the point?” and give up.
And when you start to focus on your self, you’ll start to see backlash from people who don’t really understand what you’re trying to accomplish. But to be blunt, you can’t worry about that. You have to prioritize yourself, put your self first. That’s why the mornings are my time for writing and running.
Respect yourself, and do the things that matter to you.
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