This condition can affect sleep, productivity, and it can seriously compromise one's sanity. I guess you want to know what TMIS is, huh? It is Too Many Ideas Syndrome. Those of you who have told me that you've ran of ideas to blog about, are probably thinking you bitch! But trust me, you don’t want my kind of TMIS.
Imagine this: you are working on a literary review that is due in two days. You already read the book and kept notes while you were at it, so now you just have to write it. You grab your laptop and your screen is blessed with a new letter every time your fingers stroke a key.
Typing: Book X discusses issues of race, interfaith…
In My Head: Character A should kill Character B in the next scene of…
Me Talking: “Focus Magaly. Focus.”
Typing: … relationships and…
In My Head: Hm, I really like Character B. I don’t want her dead yet, but…
Me Screaming: “Damn it mind, can you give me a break!?”
My dad opens my door, by accident of course, and stares at me wild-eyed. I return a similar look, he runs to his room in terror. I get up and shut the door, get back on my laptop and kill character B. You see, I had to do it, or my mind wouldn’t have left me alone. A good killing scene takes time, this means that I will be working on the review until the wee hours of the night, in order to make my deadline.
In the past, I used to deal (or tried) with this alone, but a couple of nights ago I discovered that I no longer have to. The Boyfriend seems to be really good at keeping me on track. We were on the phone, the other night, discussing the issue:
“Amor (Spanish for love) I’m losing my mind here.” I whined loudly to make sure he knew I was desperate. “I love to be riding my productive wave, but I’m hardly sleeping and my lower back is starting to feel the effects.”
“You have to take breaks hun,” he suggested. “What are you working on?”
I was glad he wasn’t standing in front of me at the time, for I made a face that would send any reasonable man running for the hills. “Well…” (Insert pitiful whine here) “A few things: some research, my novels, rewriting a couple of short stories, blogging…”
“Have you tried scheduling things out babe?”
“Yes, but there aren’t enough hours in the day.” I felt defeated. “Plus, every time I start working on something, a new idea pops up and I feel I can’t put it on hold.”
“I can’t believe that, you’re too smart and a very fast writer. You just need a system. You should try blocking time for your different writing commitments.” Then he made me the proudest girlfriend in the whole wide world, he called out the titles of everything I was working on, and my Wicked Darlings, that’s a challenge even for me at times! He continued, “But leave some free time in between, like that if you spend too much time in one project, the others won’t be affected too badly.”
“I adore you, have I told you that?” Now I wanted him in front of me because I had one of those smiles that said: Do things to me. Pleeeeease!
“Not that I can recall.” He teased.
“Well, I adore you mi amor!”
We reminded each other how much we missed being together. We said a few other things you probably don’t care to know about, and then ended the call.
How do you deal with TMIS? Also, does your better half get involved in your work? And if s/he does, how do you feel about it?