If you’re anything like me, making time for your writing and creative pursuits is a huge challenge. It can be tricky to find the right balance and often times, fitting creative projects into the mix proves difficult. The more my schedule expands to fit in work, family life, fitness, household chores and social activities, the lower my writing becomes on my list of priorities.
Perhaps the biggest deterrent for finding time to write is that often I feel like I need an entire day to get both mentally and physically “set up” before I can begin. That’s okay if I have an entire day available, but if I only have an hour or two, it can feel too daunting to even begin. So instead I’ll use what little free time I have on other things, which are usually huge time-wasters and get me absolutely nowhere. I cringe when I think of the days, weeks, even months of my life that I have lost, just by wasting an hour here and an hour there on Facebook browsing and watching clips on YouTube. In small segments, it doesn’t seem like that big of a deal, but over time it can add up quickly! And as a side note, no matter what I start watching on YouTube, somehow I always end up watching ‘Ellen’ clips or videos of puppies. I have no particular interest in either, but after awhile, my browsing becomes so mindless that before I’ve even realized it, I’m watching this:
So needless to say, I’ve had to incorporate a few tricks over the years to make sure I always find time for my writing without feeling overwhelmed or neglecting my other responsibilities. Here are some time-management tips to ensure that, no matter how busy you are, you can always find the time to write!
- Prioritize and create a schedule. Recently I have started making a schedule at the start of every week, to ensure that I have allotted the appropriate amount of time for everything I need to do. Although I know things will come up unexpectedly, having a general idea of what I’m planning to do with my week helps me organize my time more effectively. I schedule in my high priority tasks first and I work my way down the list. I can truthfully say that, regardless of how busy I’ve been with competing priorities, I have always been able to carve out a space of at least three hours twice a week to work on my writing. Whether or not I actually utilize that time wisely is a different story, but I know I can find it. And I also know I’m more likely to be discerning with my creative time when I’ve scheduled myself in for it.
- Create a comfortable writing space. Keep your desk organized and clutter-free so as not to create distractions. Remember this time is for you to be creative, not to pay bills or reply to email. If home causes too many distractions, take your lap-top to your favourite coffee shop or the library, and if you don’t have a lap-top, most libraries will provide you with limited time on a computer and internet access. I also find that having a well-lit room helps me stay focused and avoid eye strain. Sit in a comfortable chair and set yourself up with your favourite beverage. I find that something as simple as making a cup of tea or coffee can make the experience of sitting at my desk to write feel like a luxury instead of a chore. (In fact, just as I was writing this, my sister-in-law Debbie brought me a coffee from Tim Horton’s! There’s not much more enjoyable for me than getting my Canadian paws on a large Double-Double!)
- Establish your writing goals. Neglecting this point was a mistake I made for many years. All I really knew was that I wanted to write fiction, and I had a general idea for a story, but I was reliant almost entirely on inspiration to make any significant progress. Unless inspiration struck at the same time I’d scheduled myself to sit at my desk and write, I’d accomplish nothing and end up discouraged and frustrated. Additionally, if you’re someone who carries around your story in your head like I do, it can seem incredibly daunting to work out how to get down on paper. I will definitely be addressing this more in a future post because I know this is a big one for a lot of you, but for now I’ll just sum up by saying this: By having a clear, concise idea of what you want to write about and setting specific, achievable goals, this will not only ensure you get focused quickly, but will help keep you focused for longer periods of time. I’ve also found that by doing this, I’m not as reliant on inspiration to make forward progress.
- Write whenever and wherever you can. Sometimes inspiration strikes when you’re not expecting it. For me, I find this to be the case when I let my mind wander, like when I’m waiting at the doctor’s office or I’m out on a walk. Take a pen and pad of paper with you everywhere you go so you can jot down notes or ideas wherever you are. For me, I find my ‘Notes’ app on my iphone to be quite invaluable. I also leave it on my bedside table at night for those times when I’ve woken up from a dream and I’ve felt inspired to write it down. Although in most cases, my dream thoughts are usually incoherent gibberish about flying teapots made of wood, or a talking birthday cake with googly eyes and lobster hands, but if nothing else, they make for an interesting read! I definitely find though, that if you keep your writing project near the forefront of your mind, once you have no immediate pressures and you have a moment or two to relax, your mind will naturally take your thoughts in that direction. It’s a huge asset to have those writing tools readily available so you can jot your ideas down easily and utilize those small moments throughout your day as they happen.
- Have an ‘accountabil-a-buddy’. This is a great term that was coined by my writer friend, John, and it’s an important one for those of us that find being accountable to just yourself isn’t enough to stay on track. Not only does it help to have someone with shared interests to use as a sounding board for new ideas, but scheduling a time to meet with them on a consistent basis ensures that your writing project doesn’t go untouched for too long. I also find that setting goals with my partner and telling them what I plan to accomplish before our next meeting helps to keep me accountable for the time I’ve allocated to my writing each week. I’m less likely to misuse the time I have if I know I have a deadline.
- Be aware of “state”. This is a concept I have found to be immeasurably helpful, not only with respect to time-management for writing, but time-managing anything, especially the things I’m most fearful of or I least want to do. [Tony Robbins discusses it quite extensively and goes far more in-depth than I intend to as I’m only going to refer to it for the purpose of this blog.] Psychologists have stated that the most effective way to do anything efficiently is to a) make your task easily accessible and b) adjust your state of mind to suit the task. So for example, if one of your fitness goals is to go roller-blading in the park twice a week, keep your roller blades near the front door, not in a box in the garage. The more effort you have to put in to get started, the less likely you will be to follow through and do it. A second example is, if you’re like me and you hate making business-related phone calls, create your list of the people you need to call and tell yourself you’ll only make one phone call. By the time you’ve finished that first phone call, the next one won’t seem so daunting. After you’ve finished your second or third phone call, you’re in the “state” or “mindset” of making phone calls, and before you know it, you’ll have completed your entire list. However, the opposite is also true in that, if you tell yourself you’ll “just watch television until the end of this program” or you’ll “just watch one more YouTube video”, you’ll easily settle into that state of mindlessness and it will become much more difficult to change course. So even if you don’t “feel like” writing, or you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start, just sit down and force yourself to focus on it for twenty minutes. Chances are, once that time has elapsed, you’ll be in enough of a groove that you won’t want to stop.
These are just some tips that I have found through my own experiences have worked for me. If you’re already a disciplined person and know how to utilize your time well, then you’ve likely figured out most of this for yourself. But if you’re an undisciplined procrastinator like me, writing projects can seem intimidating and too daunting to start, let alone finish. By giving yourself the time you need to keep making forward progress, you’ll find it becomes easier to keep the momentum heading in the right direction.
Happy writing!