Thoughts As I Go #7: Strict or Flexible?

Paper Coach : Teach Yourself to Write Fiction

Phase:1, Month:5, Week:1

I've noticed a certain phenomena recently. It has come up as I work with Julia Cameron's The Right to Write. I frequently find myself in places where I can read her book but have no ability to do the exercise (for example, standing on the subway). This happens a few times in a row. Now I've read three or four chapters in, but haven't done any exercises.

Is this good or bad? Helpful or harmful to swift progress?

I'm still doing the exercises, just in a 'catch up' fashion. Here's what I do: on the chapter page I draw two boxes. I label the first box "Reading" and the second box "Exercises". Then I check the respective boxes as I finish the reading and the exercises in that chapter.

Right now, I have three chapters with the reading, but not the exercises, checked off.

So is this getting ahead of myself, or just being flexible with the time my life offers?

Thoughts anyone?