Summer is officially over at my house and the kids will be back in school by the end of the week. I’m facing the moment I’ve been looking forward to all summer... Writing Time!!!But man! My daily habits have completely changed (maybe for the better) while being off the grid. So... since I have a relatively clean slate to set up new writing habits, I’m working on a list of what my daily priorities should be.
1. Make a schedule!
-One hour of exercise, three days a week with the hubs. Neither of us seem willing to put out the effort on our own, but we’re hoping to keep each other motivated. :-) You never know! It just might work! No more, “I don’t have time, I’m writing!”
-Dinner plans. No more, “I can’t think about dinner right now, I’m writing!” (which ultimately leads to $5 pizzas or frozen/boxed things with 8 minutes to spare before swim team practice.)
-I will NOT attempt to do any writing before the kids go to school. I generally wake up hours before anyone else does, but it ultimately leads to, “Oh my gosh! The kids are still in bed and we have 4 minutes to make lunches, eat breakfast, get dressed and out the door!”
But I might try jotting down a few scene/chapter notes that I want to tackle for the day... especially if I need to write three chapters a week to meet my intended deadline. (Thank goodness I have a (mostly) detailed outline to keep me focused!)
-Make laundry/cleaning a daily ritual—not a monthly “Ugh! I can’t work in these conditions!”
-Be extra cautious about balancing time between MY projects vs covers and editing for others. As much as I love working on other people's projects, I really do have a deadline.
2. Write the Schedule!
-Change that... PRINT the schedule as a daily check-off chart and live by the list each day until it becomes habit.
3. Stick to the Schedule!
-I seem to go through this I-need-better-habits phase every September and New Year. So...crossing my fingers and toes that I can be dedicated to more than just making time to write. :-)
I’m extremely grateful to have such a huge amount of flexibility in my day-to-day life. I know many writers who would LOVE to have as much time as I do. I just need to use the time more wisely to better balance obsessive writing and a healthier frame of mind. I’m 98% certain everyone in my house would benefit. :-)
I've found that I need breaks anyway after an hour or two... it helps to gets my brain working again when I run into the kitchen, do some dishes, and vacuum a room or two. (And the house stays cleaner, too!) And yes, way easier to sit down in front of the comp once the kids are gone. :)
ReplyDeleteYeah.. I just need to believe that if I walk away (esp to exercise), it really will be beneficial to writing productivity. I guess I'll try it an see!
ReplyDeleteAccording to the "schedule", I have a solid 4.5 hours 2 days a week, and 3 hours on 3 days -- with weekends open to whatever... I'm pretty sure that's more than my normal "whenever I can" routine. :-)