I so admire the traits of moderation and balance.   I aim for them constantly.  I plan, schedule, research, limit, design, check and re-check my life and activities with those ideals held firmly in my mind.  “All things in moderation.”  And, “Balance.  Ba-lance.  Baaaaaa-lance.”

For most of the year, I diligently aim for balance and moderation.  For example, balancing work and health (or, at least, attempting to) is the only way I can manage several projects at once.  I take time to exercise, etc, giving myself energy to work fast enough to have time left over for exercising, thereby giving myself energy to work… it’s a nice cycle.

However, half-way through the month of November (otherwise known as “National Novel Writing Month”), I start to change my tune.  As the days dwindle and the EXPECTED word count outdistances my ACTUAL word count, I start to not even care about balance.  Let alone, moderation.

In fact, by now, November 20^th, I am figuratively wadding up my revered ideals and tossing them out the window, because I’ve arrived at my favourite part of NaNoWriMo.  Now, eyes fixed on my word count and deadline, I am allowed, encouraged, even expected to forget about balance for a bit.  For the last 10 days of this wonderful, flat-out busy, tumultuously creative, “no, I can’t do the dishes, I’m writing” month, I get to tip the scales towards an excess of two of my favourite things:  writing and coffee.

So, until December 1st, I take time to drink coffee, giving myself energy to work fast enough to have time left over to drink coffee, thereby giving myself energy to work… it’s a nice NaNoWriMo cycle.  As Mark Twain said, “All things in moderation… including moderation.”