Thanks for the replies everyone.
My choice of words was poor. Yes, only thirty hours a week, and in fact, that’s less than anyone else I work with. The reason I only work that much is so that I can have the time to pursue what I really want in life. However, I am fresh on the job and assumed that I would have no problem mustering the strength every day to get to writing after work, but I have only recently found that I am completely worn out after my shifts.
My nutrition is excellent. Adequate carbs – all in the morning or during/after my workouts for two meals. Lots of good fats and lots of protein. My food choices are centered around beef, eggs, oats, kidney beans, peanut butter, heavy cream, and lots of brocolli, cauliflower, and carrots throughout the day, with a few fruits in the morning. I also do not drink alcohol. Without going into more detail, I will say that I have never had issues with energy in the past, and thus why I bring up stimulants only. My nutrition has always been more than adequate to get me completely through every day.
I posted in this forum to ask about stimulants, but any other advice is appreciated. Maybe I should try dropping by the gym after work and walking on the treadmill for half an hour? That could potentially help revitalize me a bit, I’d assume?
I also love hearing the anecdotes about those who work early in the morning before their jobs every day. It not only gives me ideas for myself, but provides tons of motivation.
Again, I apologize for the inflection of my original post. I did not intend to say that I consider myself a hero for working thirty hours a week at a retail job, and I commend all of you who work more and are able to balance family and other priorities. My job – not a sales position at a retail store – is very taxing in its limited hours, though, and is limited to thirty hours a week because I am only looking to make enough money to get by while pursuing what I really want.
I do get some writing done now, but I want to get more done, which is currently inhibited by my lack of focus after work.
Many thanks to everyone who has given advice or anecdotes so far. I would prefer not to take stimulants since I never have before in my life, so anything that could help me avoid that is appreciated. I am simply curious if that’s the best route to take, and so far, the answer seems to be “no.”
EDIT: By the way, kicks in the balls are completely appreciated. I work limited hours and am still complaining. I still stand by my statement that my work is taxing, but I know that I should have no problem spending many hours every day following my dream. I just do not want to go too far off-topic for this part of the forum, but if that is not an issue, please feel free to dig into me. I need the reality check.