Really, I should have titled this “How to MAKE Time in Your Schedule” because if you just look for time you will probably not find it.
This simply means using some proven tips that work for even the busiest people. Here are a few ways to stop excuses, make free time in your schedule that you don’t think you have, and get that e-book written.
1 – Skip that party
Skip the celebration or event that you were going to attend. Sometimes getting stuff done means sacrifice. Is your regularly scheduled Friday night trivia with your friends more important than finishing (or even just starting) your e-book?
Sometimes special occasions and celebrations are definitely worth attending, sometimes not. If you look at your social calendar closely, you can find time when regular socializing might be put to better use writing.
2 – Write on your lunch break
Do you usually spend an hour eating and talking office gossip with your coworkers? Instead, after eating, excuse yourself to a private place where you can get some writing done.
3 – Stop rotting your brain, and wasting your time, watching television.
Be honest with yourself. What is more important to you, writing your e-book, a resource that can make a difference in people’s lives and earn income for you for the rest of your life, or finding out who got voted off the island this week?
I sometimes find it hard to get off the couch once I am on it so I tend to make sure I have all my work done for the day BEFORE I sit down to rot my brain watch TV.
4 – Stop looking for huge blocks of time.
Instead of trying to find an entire day to spend writing, find 15, 30 and 60 minute blocks of free time in your schedule.
JK Rowling found “stolen pockets of time”, in her own words, to write Harry Potter. She often wrote on the train to and from work, in cafes, and even on napkins. She is well known for advising writers to write whenever they have a few minutes of free time.
5 – Get up an hour earlier every day
What is that I hear you saying? You have already heard this advice? Then why aren’t you implementing it?
I really don’t like getting up early BUT, when I do, I am very productive because no one else is up yet so I have no (well fewer) distractions. I am very productive when I get to work first thing.
6 – Prioritize your writing
Add it to your day planner. Make it as important as everything else you plan in your week. If you don’t see it as being important enough to add to you schedule, you probably will not actually get around to it,
7 – Stop making excuses
This was a biggie for me. I can procrastinate with the best of them. However, it NEVER feels good to realize you have let yet another day go by without progressing on your e-book.
Rowling is another great source for inspiration here. She seemingly “never” had time to write. It took her 7 years to write the first Harry Potter novel. As mentioned above, she wrote whenever she could squeeze a few minutes out of her day.
That 7 year period saw the birth of her first child, a divorce from her first husband, the death of her mother and near poverty. She may have had more reasons for making excuses than just about anyone, but she didn’t, and the Harry Potter series has sold more than 500 million copies.
Just sayin…
You can do it!
Barb
