When I was on the plane to Nashville a couple weeks ago, I started reading . (I am struggling valiantly to develop a sister site to this one, about books, and I writing a review for that site, which I will post a link to when I finish.)

The author, Tim Ferriss, (check spelling) talks, essentially, about figuring out how to leverage your income to live a life you love, to become one of the New Rich, who have removed themselves from the life of a wage slave.

One of his key tenets is this: “Interest and energy are cyclical.” I love that idea. And I think it is key to creativity. goes on to say: “Alternating periods of activity and rest is necessary to survive, let alone thrive. Capacity, interest, and mental endurance all wax and wane. Plan accordingly.”

Hear, hear. Learning to observe and honor your own cycles of creativity is vital to success.

Have you ever gone to bed, full of resolve to spend the entire next day on your novel or screenplay, only to wake up and feel like hiking or gallery hopping or riding a dirt bike instead?

All the other writing experts will tell you to resist the urge and stay home and write. Not me. I say, go do what you love. Do what your inner self is urging you to do. You probably need a break. As Ferriss says, our interest levels wax and wane. So it’s a good idea not only to honor yourself when you are tired, but also to build in some of these rest periods ahead of time.

Of course, if day after day after day you find yourself choosing a bike ride or a day of shopping instead of the novel, then you’ve got a problem. But overcoming writing procrastination is a topic for another day….