Being A Good Sport

I just finished reading Jennette McCurdy’s memoir (“I’m Glad My Mom Died“) and I really loved this line. The whole book is about how she was raised to be a good girl and prioritize everyone else’s needs over her own and this moment in the book is when she starts to realize that always being a “good sport” isn’t serving her at all.

I’m sharing it here because I feel like I talk to so many writers who prioritize everyone else in their lives. If you replace “playing charades with Tom Hanks” with “writing my novel,” I bet there are a lot of us out there who would do well to embrace a little f-bomb every now and then.

Take a moment and think about who or what you might be prioritizing over your writing. How often do you step into the roll of “good sport” when you’d rather be working on your own creative projects?

Of course, I’m not saying we should always be selfish. Instead, I’m proposing that a balance be maintained. If you have kids, you are going to have to do stuff for them (I swear every time 5pm rolls around I marvel that we have to feed them AGAIN), but it’s also important that you make time for yourself, even if it means closing the door, or hiding in the closet with your laptop, or letting them watch another episode of Avatar The Last Airbender.

You will be a happier person if you make your own needs a priority. If you need permission, consider it granted. You’re welcome.