Getting it All Done: Finding Time to Write
Posted by Jo | Filed under Productivity
My husband made a comment the other night that’s had me thinking ever since. He said he was proud of me for getting so much done.
I guess I do get a lot done most days. I’m usually not home until six or seven in the evening. Then dinner and cleaning up the kitchen. Housework. Writing. Blogging. Laundry. I’ve been thinking about how I’ve changed over the last year.
For one thing, I’m more focused on what I want. I want to write for a living. Granted, that’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s not impossible either. If I want to do that, then I have to work at it. Common sense. I used to postpone writing, spend too much time on t.v., and assume that I’d get around to it “eventually.” I’ve worked hard to change that over the last year.
I’ve mentioned some of the productivity and organization sites I read. Among the ones that have helped the most are
- flylady. Yes, it’s a little cheesy, but if you give it a shot, it’ll work. I ran across the site because it was recommended in a writing book, for those who are considering going freelance. (Sorry, I can’t remember what book). She may focus on housework, decluttering, bills, etc., but the principles she talks about can apply to anything.
- Steve Pavlina. He’s a little new-agey for me, but his principles are definitely on target. He has lots of articles on productivity, as well as other topics, so the site is well worth a visit. He has some good advice on building a high-traffic web site as well.
- Getting Things Done. This one has done more for keeping me organized at work than at home, and I have to say that it’s great. Get the book first, and then spend some time reading the blogs and forums. You’ll gradually work into a system that works for you. I create a project and attach tasks to it. I don’t worry with contexts because at work, 90 percent of what I do is in front of a computer. No real need to track that.
So, what do I do differently now than a year ago?
- Worst first. I’m not sure where this idea came from. Maybe it was mine? When I think about what I need to get done in the evenings, I do the least attractive task first. This leaves the fun stuff as a sort of reward after I do the crappy jobs. So, the litter box gets done before the laundry, which gets done before the writing, and so on.
- Most important first. If I don’t have time to do everything I need (or want) to do, then I do the most important ones first. That seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times I haven’t done that. Yes, writing falls in the “most important” category.
- “You can do anything for 15 minutes.” That little flylady-ism is very true, and very helpful. When I feel that I just can’t get started, I promise myself that 15 minutes is all I have to do. Sometimes, I feel like going on, and sometimes I don’t. If not, I quit at 15 minutes; no beating myself up allowed.
- More focus. I think more about what I want and if I’m doing what I need to do to get it. I occasionally take some time and think about my goals and evaluate if I’m spending my time in the best way. Am I spending enough time on my major goals (writing for a living), or am I getting bogged down with smaller things?
- Multitask. No, I don’t write while jogging or brush my teeth and knit at the same time. I do use “down” time for other things though. Since my husband and I drive to work together, he drives and I knit. I knit or read or blog while watching television. I grab writing time between loads of laundry. I used to think I had to have large blocks of time to really accomplish something, but I’ve learned to use small chunks, and I make real progress on my work.
- Relax. I think taking time to relax is just as important to being productive as working is. I do my very best to leave my work at work, and I think that makes me more productive at home and at the office. I take time to do things I enjoy EVERY DAY. I think women are particularly guilty of putting their own needs last. If you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t have the energy to do for others.
I hope some of these ideas are helpful. Maybe this is true of every generation, but I think people are busier today than they’ve ever been, so it just makes sense to learn to make good use of your time.
Further Reading
- None Found
