This is the second in our series of newsletters on procrastination and resistance. You can find the first piece, and other past newsletters, here:
Over the past year or so, I seem to have heard from more and more writers who are desperately keen to write – but they have very busy schedules that don't leave them much free time at all.
Some of them are (like me!) parents of small children. Others work long hours in their day job –
sometimes including weekends. Some have caring responsibilities.
When life feels packed to the brim, it can be very difficult to find any leftover time to write. And I really get how difficult it can be when life is busy, particularly if you have a stressful job, a child waking up in the night, financial
worries, or other pressures added into the mix.
If things are busy for you, you've got a couple of choices:
You can take a
break from writing. There's no shame in this, and if you're feeling stressed out by trying (and perhaps failing) to squeeze writing in, having a proper break from it might be the best thing for you. This is particularly true if your busyness is time-limited (e.g. you're having a hectic couple of weeks while your kids are on their school holidays, but you'll be able to get back into your normal writing routine soon).
OR
You can fit writing into your life as it currently is. You might not be able to fit in as much writing as you'd ideally like. You may need to make some decisions about what
other activities to stop or do less of. But if writing is important to you (and if your life isn't about to get any less busy), then seize as much time as you reasonably can for it.
Here are three practical things you can do to fit in some writing:
#1: Map Out a Typical Day (or Week)
Get a piece of paper, and jot down the things you typically do during a normal day. If your days vary a lot (e.g. you work shifts) then map out a
typical week.
It may be that a lot of your day is taken up with work, childcare, or other commitments ... but hopefully you'll spot at least some time you could use for writing. You don't have to write every day, of course: an hour or two once a week is far better than nothing.
If, like me, you struggle to write in the evenings, you might want to think about rearranging your schedule slightly so you get up half an hour earlier and go to bed half an hour earlier: that gives you writing time at the start of the day, when you're (hopefully) more awake and focused, rather than at the very end of the
day.
#2: Get Help (and Consider Paying)
Asking for help can be difficult, especially if you're normally quite an
independent person. But other people are often only too glad to be able to lend a hand – you just need to tell them what they can usefully do for you. That might mean asking your partner to do more around the house, or getting your mum/brother/friend to take the kids off to the park every Sunday afternoon. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want: other people, particularly non-writers, won't generally think to just offer!
If it's affordable for you, think about hiring help. If your children are very small, having a babysitter one morning a week could give you some much-needed breathing space and time to write. If you work full-time, having a cleaner come in weekly could free up more time at the weekend.
#3: Work in Short Sessions
My ideal writing day would involve working, uninterrupted, for eight hours or so. As I have two kids (4 and 2) and a husband doing a PhD, this ideal day
happens about once every three months when I escape to a local hotel. ;-) Much of my fiction writing fits into half-hour sessions (and in the past, when the kids were tiny, I did 15 minute sessions).
I know that 15 or 30 or 45 minutes often doesn't feel like enough time to write – and I know how
frustrating it can be to get really into writing, only to have to suddenly stop. But even if you think it won't suit you, try writing for short sessions (maybe in your lunch break or even on your commute). You might find that it goes better than you expected.
Ultimately, if you want a break from writing, feel free to take one: far better to have a month or two off than to end up feeling completely burnt out or even making yourself ill. But if you want to fit writing in, fight to make it happen. Good luck!
Next week, we'll be looking at focus and procrastination: how to stay on task during a writing session.
