Last week I was listening to motivational podcast about how to make my life better and earn millions when I decided to set myself a goal.

Nothing too outlandish, just the decision to write one blog post once a week and publish it on a Wednesday. How hard can that be?

Compared to the 31 days of writing (and running) for #writeandrun31 in January, it should be a doddle.

I get great ideas for articles for blog posts all the time or at least I think they are interesting, sometimes topical and very occasionally poignant or funny.

Unfortunately, the lightning bolt of inspiration always strikes at the exact wrong time.

On the commute to work I muse about the comings and goings around me, often striking up ideas about who are these other people filtering through the City?

I’ll be getting excited about an idea and then get into work, making sure to remember the details then almost immediately upon entering the office – it’s gone.

Or as I sit in a pub chatting the usual nonsense that is only spoken after four ciders, I’ll have a eureka moment.

The next morning, a further three ciders and beer for variety have stolen my magic moment from me.

It’s like waking too soon from a wonderful dream then trying desperately to fall back in the same place and frame of mind so as to continue.

I’ve tried writing things down and I’ve tried voice memos (yes I start them with “memo to self”) but nothing seems to keep the inspiration alive long enough.

But if it wasn’t strong enough to persist in the memory, maybe it was for the best?

My humorous ode to the speeding bus driver seemed funny on the last bus home but in the tepid light of day, it sounds at best childish and at worst, post-modern.

An idea for a blog post featuring my favourite burritos looked like my way into food publishing but in fact it is probably just a route into Weight Watchers.

So maybe great ideas are yet to come. Maybe they are not. Most likely people who have great ideas don’t think they’re great and vice versa.

If nothing else, this post has kept me on course for my week-old goal and provided some food for thought.

Or should I have just not written about not being able to write about something? Argh is this post-modern or meta? Or neither? Am I just very lazy?

Time for a cider. Goodnight. I’ll definitely remember this in the morning.