It's absolutely not more important than your life.
When the story wants to be told, the words flow freely. It's hard for me to consciously direct a story. I tend to start with the idea that the story already exists, and I just need to find it.
It's almost funny to me now that I ever thought I could explore all of the layers of complexity needed to build a story in a month. At least without being able to devote all of my time to it.
I do wish you luck in continuing to build your own!
RE: How (Not) To Write A Novel - Energy Reflections