Down to the wire

Who AM I?

In high school and college, I was the nerdy kid so many loved to hate: I finished papers early and often set the curve.

The semester I spent in England, I turned in my British Studies research paper  — on “Wuthering Heights” — early so I could get feedback from my adviser and revise it for a better grade. I also wrote an extra research paper — on Salman Rushdie’s “Satanic Verses” — to get 300-level credit for the class instead of 200-level.

You rarely found me pulling all-nighters because I often finished papers long before their due date.

Nowadays, that’s not the case. I barely finished judging the eight Golden Heart entries RWA sent me by the March 7 deadline. I snuck in my novella submission to Carina Press just under the wire. I frequently just make the deadline for contests.

What happened to that go-getter?

Is it fair to blame my newfound bent for procrastination on life getting in the way? Back then, my only job was being a student. Now I have to make room for writing/editing/contest judging on top of a 40-hour-a-week day job — and still find time to work out, play with the Boyfriend, keep up with writing for three blogs and cook healthy-ish meals.

Not to mention, back then, the time-sucks of Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest didn’t exist to distract me. Of course, those time-sucks can be a valuable way to network, keep my finger on the pulse of the industry and keep up with my friends’ many accomplishments.

It’s a fine line, and I’m trying to walk it more precisely every day.

Your turn: How do you balance all the demands on your time? Do you find yourself procrastinating more now than in the past?