Being a Busy Writer

Anyone who likes to do a lot of things knows that it’s hard to balance everything. I mean, we only have so much time in a day, and we all have responsibilities too. Sitting down at your computer, spending half an hour or so writing –that can get pushed to the side a lot.

I’ve been the person who always had time to write and I’ve been the person who has no time to write. So, how do I find time to write –consistently!– while also being in highschool, practicing taekwondo, riding horses, satisfying my newly found love of dance, fulfilling all my other responsibilities, and having a social life?

 I’m so glad you asked :)

For me, it comes down to a few specific things. The first one of these is Priorities. I stand by the saying the time is not found, it is made. Writing has to be a priority for me. Now, since I’m still in school, that has to take precedence over writing. But for me, there aren’t many other things that get to top writing. Writing comes before I watch T.V. Writing comes before I sit down and read. Writing often comes in the forty-five minutes before I leave the house in the morning. 

Everyone has different priorities, and everyone’s priorities change over time. In a few years, my priorities won’t be getting good grades in school. Writing will shift where it stands over time. It may not be as high on your priority list as on mine, and that’s ok. You know you better than I ever will. 

Having writing be a high priority doesn’t mean I’m perfect about it. Sometimes I’ll sit down and scroll Pinterest for a while before I write. Sometimes I’ll forget that I haven’t written until five in the evening. And sometimes, no matter how much I prioritize writing, I simply don’t have time. That’s ok. You have to know yourself. 

For example: It’s Friday. I have a hike with my hiking group, and then a book club right after. I know I won’t write when I get home, because it will be like 4:30 and I’ll be exhausted. Solution: I’ll set my alarm for half an hour earlier so that I can get my writing done before I leave. 

The second specific thing is a little skill called Time Management. For me, this takes the form of a planner, a dozen multicolored pens, and twenty minutes on a Sunday afternoon. I like to color-code things, and I generally stick to the same format every time, to keep things simple. But I write down, at the bare minimum; What I’m doing/where I’m going.

This includes things like school, taekwondo, parties, activities, and church; Writing things I need to do, such as posting and editing; Things I need to remember; And daily habits. That’s the basics of what I put in my planner, and it truly is a lifesaver. 

Time Management might take different forms for different people, just like priorities. The point is to find a system that works. Some people might need visual cues, like a sign that tells them to write. I have a calendar where I check off every day I’ve written and jot down how much. Maybe it’s a reminder on your phone. Maybe a Google calendar. You’ll probably have to experiment a little bit.

The third skill is adaptability/flexibility. Yes, that’s technically two, but they’re both almost the same thing. You have to remix your schedule sometimes. You can have the priorities, the planner, the calendar, but some days it’s crazy. That one school assignment took so much longer than you expected it to, and now you have to leave the house without having written in your designated time. Ok. Where else can you fit it? What can you do to write? A lot of times for me this means I need to take twenty minutes before bed to get in a few words. Maybe instead of taking a nice long shower after I get back, I’ll scrub, rinse, and be done. You adapt to the changes, because there will never not be crazy pop-ups in your life. 

But then there are the days where no matter how hard you try, you physically cannot write. You literally can’t. There’s no time left. That’s where the last little thing comes in: Grace. Sometimes, you can’t. That goes for a lot of things in life: Sometimes, you can’t. And you have to accept it. Beating yourself up for missing a day won’t change it, nor will it benefit you. I try not to miss something more than three days in a row. Miss once: fine. Missing twice: you can’t help it. Missing three times is when it starts to be a pattern. Even if it’s ten minutes, just sit down and do your best. I believe in you!

Those are my tricks for making time to write in a busy life. Put writing where it belongs on your priority list. Find a way to manage your time –visually, if you can. Adapt to the challenges that pop up. And have grace for the days where you can’t.