The other day at school I mentioned that I found some old friends on Facebook and another teacher asked me when I found the time. Another teacher asked me recently how I have time to watch so much TV. I’m not sure if I’m insulted or just curious—what do THESE people do with their time that they don’t have any?
I get up in the mornings around 4 AM, check email, Twitter, Google Reader (with a time limit) and edit before I get ready at 6. I go to work, occasionally skip lunch to write/edit or do schoolwork. I rarely bring anything home from school because I have a system there to get it all done. I get home around 4 PM, do social networking, make dinner, then write, yes, often in front of the TV. My goal is 1000 words a day.
I know I should exercise more, and I wouldn’t let my mother in the front door right now, but I’ve written 2 novels and 2 novellas in 10 months (okay, I had summer off, but I still worked every day. And the house was clean then AND I sewed a lot AND worked in the yard and exercised.)
What do normal people do with their time?
I wake up between 7am-7:30am with the baby, get the baby and the critters fed, play on email and/or write until 9am. After that, it’s chore time. Chores are done in about an hour, and my kids start school time. (I homeschool them.) We break for lunch, then continue after, which doesn’t last for too much longer after that.
We finish up chores (putting away laundry that was washed earlier in the day) and doing the lunch dishes, etc. before I can sit down again around 3pm. I get a good two hours to write until I have to start thinking about making dinner.
When DH comes home from work, we watch TV, sometimes two or three shows before bedtime. If we’re not in a TV mood, then I can play on the computer for another couple of hours.
Any given day, I can squeeze in at least 3 hours of writing, and on a GOOD day, maybe 5!!
And that’s with homeschooling four kids and taking care of an infant.
Granted, my kids help me out tremendously with changing diapers and holding baby and CHORES, but the house is clean, the baby’s got a clean butt, and I’ve got books in the bag! Heh, wasn’t always that way, though. I had to find my rhythm.
Unfortunately, I realized I’m a “schedule” type person, so I can’t just “fit in” writing wherever, or else I’ll never do it. I found that out the hard way when I went through a year-long drought of not writing a word just recently. But I’ve found my groove, and this is it! If you stick to a routine, you can make time, no matter what you want to do.
~~Becka
Rebecca, I don’t know how you ladies with little kids do it. I didn’t start writing in earnest until my son was 5. I’m in awe.
I’m a schedule person, too. And my routine is VERY important. Probably too important! But I get it done.
I am NOT a schedule person. I have the hardest time getting anything done in a timely manor. My house is always a mess, my work is always behind and I have to fight to get time to write! I have friends whose homes are always perfect; clean, orderly, and decorated HOW DO THEY DO THAT?
I’ve been blaming it on my husband. He is a pack rat who get’s very upset if I just move things; god help me when he finds out I’ve thrown something away!
But, that’s not fair, because it’s me too. I sit around when I could be getting so much done… I just feel so overwhelmed when I look at all that needs to be done. What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I just do it? I need help!!!