As a full-time working mother pursuing the dream of publication, I often feel pulled in a thousand different directions. I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed, inadequate, and stressed out. I think almost everybody does. After all, we live in a culture where time is a commodity. A precious resource. One we’d all like more of.
But as much as we might wish for the power to forgo sleep (oh, to be a vampire), I don’t see that happening anytime soon. So how can we do it? With our full plates, how can we manage to write too? After doing some reflecting, I came up with a short list of musts when it comes to balancing a hectic schedule and pushing toward our dream of publication.
1. Keep a sacred writing hour
This is crucial if you want to get serious about writing. For me, my sacred time is every morning from 5:00 to 6:00. This is my no-excuse hour devoted to novel writing. Not blogging. Not tweeting. But actual work on my WIP. Maybe you don’t have an hour to spare. That’s okay. Start with something smaller. But be diligent about carving out a set chunk of time each day.
2. Figure out priorities and structure time accordingly
For me, it’s God first, family second, writing third, then everything else. I never want to forget my ultimate pursuit and it’s not publication. It’s Jesus. That means getting up at an insane hour (4:00 am, gasp!) to pray and read the Bible before my writing time. At night, when I get home from work, it’s family time. If I get these three things right each day, I can go to bed knowing I stuck to my priorities.
3. Give up what you can, and cherish what you can’t
As much as we might want to, we can’t do everything. So learn to say no. Learn to ask for help. During the school year, I don’t do the laundry or cook. My husband does that. It’s his way of tangibly supporting my writing career. Might your spouse help more if you asked? Do you have older children who can pitch in? Are there things you can give up? I’ll never be the queen of hospitality or keep up with American Idol. Those are things I choose not to do. But of course, there are things I can’t give up. Like being a wife, a mother, and a Christian. Neither would I want to. Let go of what you can and embrace what you can’t.
4. Set realistic short-term and long-term goals
I’m a huge believer in setting goals. Without goals to strive toward, I roam aimlessly (usually on Twitter or Facebook). A long-term goal might be finishing a novel in a certain number of months. Figure out what short-term goals you need to set in order to accomplish your long-term one. This might be a specific word count each day. Make sure you don’t watch television or surf the Internet until you reach it. Above all, be honest about your circumstances and abilities and make goals that are realistic for YOU. Oh, and don’t forget to write them down.
5. Embrace Grace
We’re all busy. Nobody’s perfect. Everybody has good days and bad days. That same grace you extend to your friends, your husband, your children? Make sure to extend it to yourself too.
Questions to Ponder: Which of these do you already do? Which do you struggle with? How do you make time for writing amidst the chaos that is life?
* This article was first published in July of ’10 in the My Book Therapy E-Zine. I thought it would be appropriate for today’s post since summer is officially over and I’m back at work. You can view the original article here.