Happy Sunday, Everyone!
It might be that you’ve been noticing a trend here on the blog around when these Sunday posts have been going up.
Well, there’s a reason for that. It used to be that, every Sunday, I’d get up, do the breakfast thing, then sit down to type up the blog post.
And don’t get me wrong. This was a fine plan with one exception. It usually meant that I didn’t get any actual writing done on Sundays.
I’d get done with the post, click “Publish,” then go out to lend a hand with the outside work. Several hours later, it’s getting on toward dinner time. I’ve got to shower, and I’m tired.
The idea of sitting down and trying to wring words out of my head was pretty daunting. More often than not, I didn’t get anything done.
So what changed?
I think it started when my agent sibling, Karen Osborne, landed a two-book deal from Tor. When the news broke, I was jazzed as hell for her. I still am.
I’m also human, fallible, and…lets just say that I’ve got enough data to float a post (or two) on professional jealousy.
It forced me to take a look at my situation. Not comparing it to Karen’s – that wouldn’t do anyone any good. I took at look at what I was doing. What my priorities were.
Naturally, my first instinct was to accuse myself of not doing enough. Also, naturally, I was tempted to discard that thought out of hand.
But I didn’t. Could there be a seed of truth in there?
Around my Birthday, I had a few days off the day job. I took that time to start digging into my life and what I was doing with my time.
I prioritized sleep. When I woke up, I did the usual breakfast thing, then I went upstairs to write. I got that done, then I went out to do the outside stuff. Once I was done, I actually got back upstairs for a second writing session.
Three days of that showed me that I could repeatedly have thousand words days, AND still get stuff done here, and have time with the family.
Naturally, the day job reasserted itself and things changed. I fell back into old patterns. Fell out of balance.
There’s where the struggle lives. By the end of the week, all I want to do is coast for two days before hitting the slog again. I’ll get up in the morning – after not enough sleep, as often as not – and I’ll struggle to get 500 words down. Usually, the time runs out before I’ve gotten more than 250.
That’s not going to work anymore. Not if I want to get anywhere.
So I’m shaking things up. Sleep is my base. my bedrock, if you will. From there, after the first meal of the day, the writing has the priority. I get that done. Along the way, I’ll find other places to get additional words, maybe even get a second session in after work – Time permitting.
I’ll need to make better use of the time I do have. Planning, meals in advance, outlining posts, so that I’m not composing them on the fly – like I’m doing right now.
Stick as close as I can to the schedule – even on the weekend.
Do what I can, but remember to keep these three things in mind:
The writing is important
The reading is a big part of the Writing
Time for myself is important.
Now “Time for myself” is a pretty big box. Inside that box are things like sleep, relaxing (Either by playing a game, or catching up on some Rugby), spending time with family, the list goes on for a little while longer, but you get the idea.
All of the other stuff – work, the “To Do” list, etc. All that has to fit in. Some of it is more malleable than others (I’m not doing much to shrink the time I’m at work for a while yet), so I’m going to have to be aware of what I’ve got time to do and what I don’t, and compare it to my priorities.
Put what matters first.
###
Be sure to stop by the Freebies page for story Excerpts.
I’ll see you on the 2nd for the next Five Thing Thursday.
Until then…
Be Safe, Y’All.
Time: 6:27 pm – ish
Music: Sabaton – Swedish Pagans
Pingback:Know When to Adjust | Ken Schrader