Last night I made a post around 9:30 in the evening. Ideally, I should have set that up last night and scheduled the post, and then it’d be done and I wouldn’t have to worry about it. You would think on a Sunday I could make one damn post!
Saturday night I had the misfortune of getting a migraine. I get them a lot, though lately they’ve been rarer. I was not lucky Saturday night. It hit me while I was at a friend’s party and it lasted into the morning. It really ruined my schedule, which really stresses me out. In a perfect world, we were supposed to come home from the party, I could make my post and schedule it for the morning, and then I could get a good night’s sleep so in the morning I could wake up early and go through all the things on my Sunday to-do list into the evening. It would have been great! I had everything planned…
*sigh*
Unfortunately, my anxiety and migraines don’t care about my plans. My social life, my career, the dogs, and all those pesky last minute favors I do for others don’t care about my writing schedule. The weeks begin to melt away and once again my drafts go untouched. It’s been daunting trying to find time to write.
I read a ton of articles and blogs telling me I’d just be successful if I’d set aside DAILY writing time. How cool would that be? If only my days were that consistent. Maybe I do four to five days a week? Maybe I do three? Maybe I wake up super early (not the time of the day really enjoy writing fyi) and write 300 words! Maybe I write at the same time of the day as Famous Writer A! Then I’d be successful.
I work two jobs. I take care of two needy dogs and a frazzled husband (he’s a social worker, ’nuff said). I take care of myself sometimes, you know – exercise, eating, hygiene. Occasionally I write. (I don’t even want to go into my drawing and art muscles – poor things.)
Perhaps this article is a tad bit cynical. Maybe I’m just whining. And I’m sure people have tons of advice. The challenge to find writing time is working with my own crazy schedule. How do I schedule a moment of peace within a tornado of chaos? Maybe I scale back some of my busy social and work things! Maybe… Well maybe I just learn to say no to others so I can say yes to myself.
I’d be happy to hear anyone else’s woes on how they have no writing time. I’d like to know if you solved your problem and if you found some balance in your own chaos. I can’t figure out myself yet. I can’t just write whenever I have the time! I need structure, and so far that’s been the one thing that’s been holding me back.
Cheers,
© HK Rowe
H.K. Rowe 
I know that my lack of writing has been mostly a result of laziness, although I do struggle with some of the things that you do. I work full time, I try to keep my house straight, I try to cook at home. I also wish I could exercise more, but I usually put writing ahead of it (I just hate exercise so much, I’ll do anything before it!) I’m trying to have more of a social life, and I struggle with sinus issues that have me popping ibuprofen at least once a week. It seems like every time I actually feel like writing, a bloody headache knocks me on my butt.
Hopefully when I move into a bigger place, and Austin and I will both have spaces where we can work, we can be focused more on our own projects. As it is, we spend a lot of time playing games or watching TV together as a way to spend time. Sometimes I try to write at the same time, but it just doesn’t work. I feel like the only times I can truly write are when I’m alone.
So I’m afraid I haven’t figured it out yet either!
I totally understand. It sounds like your not really lazy, just that you’re trying to rest. That sinus stuff can take a lot out of a person. I feel you there. The headache is probably trying to telling you to take care of yourself and rest.
Good luck with finding a bigger place. I’d love to get into a bigger place too, but I feel like the place I have now needs to be purged of stuff so I can breathe again.
I hope you figure out this writing time management thing too! Eventually we’ll get there. 🙂
I also struggle a lot to find time to write and I don’t have your hectic life! 😉 I, however, have the same problem as you on one point: putting doing things for others before doing things for myself. And also, being an overachiever and wanting to do too many things all the time and being able to take none of them lightly. =P Honestly, I just write when I have a minute, which doesn’t happen much for you—for instance, there’s a TV show I usually watch with my mother just for the sake of having a bit of time together during the day, not that I care much about the thing, I sometimes write during the breaks of that or even the show itself =P I should do that these days but it’s also become my only available reading time! That is when I realize how much computer time and the associated craving for productivity eats my life XD But yeah, I just struggle to fit writing in, too. I could really find more time for it, but it would mean neglecting other things, and getting behind, and getting more stress as a result… I really am most productive when I just set writing as a priority for a while and stick to it, but lately it’s been language practise, and now translating work again, and I’m behind in fandom as it is so it’s tough, lol. Can’t even imagine how it is for you with you know, serious commitments for actual life things. There’s a reason I sound so admiring of you 😉
(I’m also not touching my editing for self-esteem reasons mostly… not that I despise the hell out of those stories, but I almost do… *coughs* Insecurities creep up in hindsight. Mostly about the god-awful Nano 2014, the other one is decent, just rather dull, but god I should have finished working on it and published it ages ago.)
I hope you can find more time and more mojo, and that you manage to get stuff done. Love! ♥
I get that. Sometimes you have to do things, or need to do things, for the sake of keeping up with your life. I totally get that you’d set aside even TV time to be with your mother. I think I get caught up in that too and it really makes putting aside writing time more challenging. I hope you find some time to catch up too. I totally get how hard it is.
I understand the editing self-esteem thing, truly. I’ve had such a hard time with it lately. I feel like I have to kick my own ass to get into it. I wish you luck with your stories.
And thanks for coming over here darlin! I really need to make a post at Livejournal and catch up. I will. 🙂
I’m nowhere near as busy as you, and time management is something I still seem to struggle with daily. Not even cutting out a lot of TV (freeing up more time for creativity) has helped. (My art progress actually took a nose-dive in 2014, somehow…sigh.) Balancing time is just plain hard to do, no matter what’s going on!
Seriously, it is. I wish you luck! I’m really enjoying Echo Effect!