Working Through an Early Nightfall

I have become accustomed to early nightfall in Maine.  At first, I hated that everything seemed to stop at 5:00: Shops closed, lamps and televisions came on in homes. People just settled in, and unless you were going to the bars in town or coming from work there seemed nothing left to do after 5. There were only stragglers on the streets who wandered around alone. Life came to halt at 5:00 and to me that was disconcerting.  I  also started to end my day at 5 and leave whatever was not done until the following day. But I wasn't completing most things.  I've learned that when I am focused time seems to fly and there never is enough of it.  It must have something to do with the concept of being in the moment and how the moment becomes all-consuming, relevant and immediate. I understand, however, the need to respect the night in this state. At night, Maine is spooky with its cold weather, large old houses, barely lit streets, candles in windowsills, etc. It seems appropriate to be safely sequestered when night falls. This is Stephen King's home state, and I now understand where he gets his inspiration.  But I have had to rethink my views about the scary nights and get beyond my desires to call it a day when there is not more daylight. 

I am from Florida where I have always had the luxury of  what seemed an eternal daylight, even in the winter night started to fall at around 7:00.  This always gave me the illusion that I had an inordinate amount of time to work with, even time to waste. But, my focus lately has been not to waste it. Now, I start my day with lists: go the library to work on classes, wash clothes, read books, pick up dry cleaning, write, exercise.  And, all this cannot be completed unless I wake up early and continue to work past Maine's 5 0'clock deadline.  My lists keep me organized and structure and they something like the following:

1. Wake up at 8 - bathe, eat breakfast
2. Work online 9 to 12
3. Write from 12 to 4
4. Exercise from 4 to 5
5. Cook and eat from 5 to 6
6. Read, blog and bathe from 6 to 8
7. Watch television from 8 to 10
8. Go to bed at 10