Work, Work, Work: Making Each Moment Count

Time, time, time. It seems there is never enough of this precious life support. In a previous story about time, I quoted the following aphorism:

TIME IS MY FRIEND
TIME IS MY ALLY
I HAVE ALL THE TIME I NEED
FOR EVERYTHING I WANT TO DO.

I received a lot of grateful responses and some questions, indicating just how hard it is to balance our time requests these days. I want to respond to a subscriber who said she is "too busy to attend to personal needs vs. work, work, work" and is looking for a way to take care of herself while meeting the requirements of her workplace.

Here are a couple of suggestions for anyone who is struggling to keep work and personal life in balance.

First, don't judge yourself about where you're spending your time. Wherever you are, be there 100 percent. If you're working, try to notice why you said yes to the work and enjoy that part of it. Enjoy the moment.

Second, use your calendar or daytimer as a tool to give you what you want. Mark it with work and personal time, and attend to it. For example, I'm writing a book, and it's very easy for me to let that time slip into something else, like answering email or returning calls. I'm getting better at blocking out the time in advance and sticking with what I said I was going to do with it.

Lastly, prioritize your values around time. If personal time is the highest priority, mark the personal time into your calendar first. Then fill in the other stuff in around it.

I hope some of this helps. Please write and let me know if any of the suggestions work for you. And let me know your ideas, too, because I need them!

Balance your life

Writing is a solitary task.
Writing needs concentration and quiet.
Writing requires absolute commitment.

Are all there scary statements true?
What is more, is it possible to balance your writing career and family without turning yourself into a zombie?

Everything is feasible; I am the living example of it.

There is only one secret: TIME PLAN.
This is step one for the aspiring writer's success. Without it, nothing can be achieved. How can you do it?

Simply make a rough plan of the time allowed to your writing project every day. It is highly important for the writer to know exactly WHEN he /she is going to settle down and write, feeling free of all the other responsibilities that he has.

I have made a simple schedule. You can work out yours according to your family needs.
Every morning just after breakfast, and as soon as the family have gone, I allow myself to work on my PC for one to two hours, depending on the workload of the day. Then I go on with the house chores and all the rest of the family tasks till noon. At 2 o' clock everybody is back so I serve lunch, but after that I have 2-3 hours free to work on my morning assignment. Thus, there is plenty of time to care for the family , while in the afternoons I still have time to go to my part time job in time , feeling satisfied I have worked at home on my project.

In the evening I sometimes find an hour or so , when the family watch TV . This time I sit with them in the living room , having pre arranged to do the easiest tasks for my writing job, such as note taking or layout planning of new stories or articles. I use pen to paper and I don't bother if I make mistakes. Next morning, there is plenty of time to revise them and complete them.

If this plan has been working perfectly for me, why not for you as well?
You only have to calculate when and how long you need to write every day. Of course , you must stick to your plan and never give it up , apart from very urgent cases. Remember that your work is also urgent, so never skip it.

If you respect your writing job, the others will do so too. What is more, they won't feel neglected as you will give them your care and attention at the time they are around. Furthermore, your house chores will be done in time and you won't feel overworked. Many a times I used to end up with half burned meals and I felt extremely stressed trying to catch up with all the house chores before the family was back home. So, telling yourself ‘I’ll do it later’, it’s not the solution. ‘Later’ will come in no time and you will find yourself in a very difficult situation. Yet, no one will believe your excuses as you have been in the house the whole morning , and you will feel inefficient for no reason at all! "A little every day" is my motto, and, in the long run, everything is done and everybody is happy. Keeping your writing and family under control will make you feel satisfied and everyone, including you, will be happy.

Also, keep in mind that there is nothing odd if you work in unconventional places.
I sometimes find it stimulating to work in the living room with all the family around. Noise does not bother me, on the contrary, it brings me more ideas. This article was outlined last evening while we were all watching a football match. Well, the truth is I did not watch much of it! I was absorbed in my new article, but that's how this idea sprang out. I can perfectly work in a chatty setting. Have you tried it? You may come up with fresh ideas and great articles.

Finally, who says that writing can turn you into a zombie? Shatter the myth! It's up to you to enjoy both your family and your writing career. Simply make a time plan!