Love my Redskins. Love Sunday games. Love Monday nights.
Plus, I love all the little extras that come along with football season. Beer, wings, Sunday parties with friends, trash talking, and omg I LOVE fantasy football. Seriously, most years I'm the commissioner of my own league. My team's name is... can you guess it? (Team Saradise, duh)
But last year, I gave it all up. I wanted to write--and holy cow you can get SO much writing done on Sundays when your husband's out with friends and all the TVs are off.
And I'm giving it up again this year. I'm revising one manuscript and after that, I'm halfway finished writing a new one. And if I spend my Sundays (and Monday nights and Saturdays, etc) writing instead of drinking and watching games, I'll finish that much quicker.
In the grand scheme of things, giving up football is a small sacrifice in comparison to some of the other things that I won't forfeit. For instance, my sister's in town from Miami and we spent all day Saturday hanging out. We went with my family into Maryland to GO APE (remember this post?) It's a treetop adventure site where you complete obstacle courses 40 feet up in the trees and swing on Tarzan swings and zip-lines...and it is SO much fun!
And it was okay, because I wrote on Sunday (first at Starbucks, with my friend & beta Cristin Terrill! and then at home, on my desk), instead of watching football, and got that much closer to finishing.
Of course, I also reward myself. For instance, when I finish this huge revision? I'm totally taking a weekend off from writing and watching hours and hours of football! I even pre-ordered this fun embellished Redskins hoodie, in preparation :) (Okay, and honestly, I'll wear the sweatshirt on Sundays, even if I'm not watching... I have to show some support!)
So my questions today are these: What are the things you give up to take your writing self seriously? And what things will you never sacrifice to progress your career?
PS! It's Carol Valdez Miller's BIRTHDAY!!! Make sure you stop by her blog, or find her on twitter, to wish her a very happy one ♥♥♥♥
Thanks for stopping by!!
I confess to watching hours of football yesterday. We have the dish with the NFL football package, and split screen...I cannot resist.
ReplyDeleteBut, your prioritizing shows you are the better person/writer.
Have a great week.
Love,
Lola
You must be happy this morning! The Redskins look like a whole different team with Donovan. I'll cheer for anyone who's playing the Cowboys. Woot!
ReplyDeleteI so can't relate to this at all. haha. I am married to a football nut and we have two daughters to whom we have tried to share his passion for the game, but none of the girls like it :( Me included...
ReplyDeleteI'm always mesmerized by girls who like football. Like they have some sort of coolness gene I'm lacking :)
Rock on, and good luck with your writing!
Around here, hockey is the big thing. When the season starts, thankfully games will generally only be on in the evening when I don't do a lot of writing anyways. There is nothing like a big "Yee-hah!" coming from the other room to make your heart jump and your pen fly out of your hand! - G
ReplyDeleteYou're stronger than I am, Sara! Sports is on my list of things I could NEVER give up. I have given up pleasure reading (ouch!) a time or two, though. :-)
ReplyDeleteI love football! I tried to give it up this season but hubby wouldn't let me. Even if you aren't watching, you have to have an opinion about McNabb. (I'm an Eagles fan) Didn't watch your team yesterday but I have to admit, I was still pulling for #5. I just hate the cowboys! Btw, hubby is a cowboys fan. Two Sundays a year, we aren't married, lol
ReplyDeleteI love college football (Go Longhorns!) but I only let myself watch the bowl games in December and January. If I watched the regular season, I would get nothing done on Saturdays!
ReplyDeleteSports don't hold a draw for me, but forensics shows (i.e. CSI's, NCIS, etc.) cop shows, paranormal shows (Ghostwhisperer, Medium) and let's not forget DEXTER! I'm planning on passing up the coming season in order to finish up my manuscript. (That list looks longer than I thought it was. I might actually accomplish something!)
ReplyDeleteAs for what I refuse to give up? Family time. All my family is nearby, and we're close. Not letting anything get in the way of that.
I have to sacrifice TV of any kind to find time to write, because I can't sacrifice the time my kids need from me, so once they're asleep, it's no TV for mommy. Just writing time.
ReplyDeleteAw, you know I know your pain. I've given up TV entirely (when I was trying to finish my re-write before the conference). Sleep (you know how many all nighters I've pulled). Food (yeah, I know, I have your lecture memorized). Pleasure reading. The list goes on and on. But it'll be worth it. I hope... :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not really into TV, except for a few shows here and there. Drop Dead Diva :)
ReplyDeleteOk, how did I not know what a football fanatic you were?!!! Ah well, I'm sorry you've had to give it up. The sacrifices can be rough at times, but it's worth it, I think, for something you love.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the birthday shoutout, sweetie! You are so kind and thoughtful. I feel all fuzzy and fluttery inside <3
I don't watch football, but I am guilty of watching many other TV shows. Maybe I need to give up a few. It's so hard, though. :)
ReplyDeleteAnother reason I love you: you love football. The Ravens are way better than the Redskins but I realize you can't be completely perfect.
ReplyDeleteI will be watching most games this year. I can't give up on my boys--especially since we're going to the Superbowl this year. ;)
XO
I've given up most of my fav t.v. shows and watching movies. I've also slacked off on reading for fun (yeah, bad me). But I won't give up extra time with the family. They have to come first.
ReplyDeleteOh man, you are way more dedicated than me!! I don't know if I could give up football... But I can only imagine the productivity I'd gain... Maybe I can find the strength one of these weekends :)
ReplyDelete(go Donovan!)
I've given up a lot TV (I know it doesn't seem like it, looking at my DVR, but I HAVE. I swear!). Why, I might even be willing to, you know, skip school and write ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, great post. I love that you still make time to hang out with family and watch football! :)
Great post! I try to give up TV. Although the TV sucks me in when I'm exhausted from a long week... I get my best writing done when I just resist and go sit in my dining room and write away. I'm not going to waste my time - and my dreams - on reality TV when I could be making myself a better writer! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not into football, so that helps, of course. :p
Well, I've already given up sleeping and showering. I might have given up eating too, but it's hard to tell when you're hallucinating from lack of sleep. Like, I was convinced I ate an armadillo yesterday, but then today I thought that was odd, since there aren't any armadillos in New Jersey. Oh, and I've also given up making sense. *nods*
ReplyDeleteAw, I love the hoodie ;o)
ReplyDeleteI too love football; I have 2 fantasy teams. I use Sunday days to hang with the hubs and watch the games, something we've always done.
I give up sleep mostly. Reading time, guitar practice time, tv. I'm glad to see you still keep some stuff though! Need something to write about, after all ;o)
Gosh, good question. I don't know what I'd give up. Maybe the weekly massage or the candlelit dinners? Yeah, I'll think about it :)
ReplyDeleteI could NEVER give up football. Like, evar. I don't know how you could do that. I give up a lot of other things, but football is NOT one of them.
ReplyDeleteGO DOLPHINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO HURRICANES!!!!!!!!!!!
BTW - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!! Love fall b-days!
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday!! I hope you're enjoying your media vacay ;o) Have a great b-day!!
ReplyDelete*So as not to distract, whispers: "Happy birthday, Sara...."*
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY FAV PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!! XXOO
ReplyDeleteHAPPY BIRTHDAY YOU!!!!!! <3
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday to you! I'm a college football fan (but a college baseball fanatic) so I understand what you're going through with giving up the sports. I rarely watch TV these days because there are only so many hours in the day and writing has to take precedence.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day. Celebrate it, but don't let it age you. ;)
I give up time with my friends to be true to my writing. its alot harder than it looks and sometimes time with my family.
ReplyDelete