Before January of 2011 I would have considered myself to be a fairly busy person. I worked and trained full time at my TaeKwonDo school. I would get there around 10 am and leave around 8 pm every night during the school year and put in about 14 hours every day during the summer. I sometimes felt like THIS guy...trying to juggle everything on my plate and sometime not getting the results I wanted.
Then I decided that I was going to return to my writing. My son had moved out of the house and I quickly converted his bedroom into my study before he could change his mind. But the world of writing is very different from twenty years ago and there was much for me to learn. And the more I learned, the more things I discovered I needed to juggle. Things like a website, and a blog site, and social sites like Linkedin and Facebook and critique groups and writers online communities and other peoples blog sites and other peoples websites...you get the idea. Then I started to feel like THIS guy because I now find myself with the idea of trying to juggle two full time careers and determined to make both passions work for me.
So how do I do it? Keyword...time management. I want to squeeze as much writing time out of each day as I can so I get up at 6 or 7 am each morning and juggle my writing...whether picture book or fantasy novel or blog post and then I spend the next ten hours focussing on my martial arts. When I get home, I spend the next 3 hours reading and responding to emails, catching up on other blogs or websites or online writing groups before tumbling into bed around midnight. Saturdays I run errands and Sunday I focus on editing, doing critiques, researching submission avenues, and reading articles or books to further my writer skills. Oh yeah, I also take time out on Sunday evening to watch Once Upon A Time...the only TV I indulge in during the week.
Juggling my time and my life may seem crazy to other people but I feel energized with my life in a way I haven't been before. I didn't mention the volunteering I do on the side or my charity organizations or school programs I also participate in because I fill those in when I have the extra time...lol...
I can look back on this past year and wonder how did I ever manage to juggle all those obligations of my time or I can just sit back and reflect on how satisfied I am with my writing life and my martial arts life right now. I'm privileged to be able to share my excitement with others through this wonderful writing community and give back to all the lovely people who have enriched my life this past year. Now I'm looking more like THIS lady and thinking if I could just learn to toss in some chocolate with those clocks I'd be doing just fine!
Wow! One hour of tv a week?? Lucky you have so much discipline! Very good at juggling then! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Nicole! I never thought of it as discipline as much as I simply don't have more time than that for ANY tv and that show is just lucky that I'm watching IT...lol...besides, I really like the peaceful quiet of just me and my cat...;0)
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Milk? Or dark?
ReplyDeleteAwww, Janet, I thought you knew me...dark chocolate of course!
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I think time management helps in other ways--cutting out activities and group things that are no longer important in your life, like cleaning out a closet. It's like editing a piece of writing. Do you need everything on your list? Do you have time for just you?
ReplyDeleteI agree! My martial arts training taught me time management and that is a skill I use for my writing...;0)
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I'm exhausted just reading this post. I'm suffering from the opposite of 'give a job to a busy person' syndrome. I got far more writing done before Mr A retired. These days there are too many lazy mornings spent with our two cats sipping tea in bed and chatting - no the cats don't chat and sip tea. That would be silly. Then I step back and look at the grand scheme and think "Hey, I've earned this break!" but it doesn't stop me from feeling guilty when I don't write.
ReplyDeleteHi Rosalind! I tend to think moments like what you are describing are best enjoyed slowly...savoring every ounce of life out the moment as you may never be able to capture it again in quite the same way so don't feel guilty...soak up the wonder of it! ;0)
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sheesh! like you I too have long days up at 5am writing, working, and often (more than I prefer) I fall asleep the minute I come home (around 7pm) and wake for late dinner and email/blog/facebook reading and answering before bed round 1am. I'll have milk chocolate thanks...LOL. I mentally tell myself I am going to be grateful oneday...LOL.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane! This is the time when we should be having the times of our lives, right? Lol...just wait until tomorrow's blog so you can you see what ELSE I have taken on in the midst of my everyday juggling...;0)
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Someone said the more time you have to do something the more time it takes. I think when you're busy you have to be more organized and efficient and you end up making better use of your time. Of course, there's a tipping point... which I feel like I'm at sometimes :)... where you've got SO much to do you can't quite figure out how. My one hour a week is Grey's Anatomy :)
ReplyDeleteHi Susanna! I can fully believe that you are one busy lady...you probably put me to shame! I like Greys Anatomy as well but I ONLY have one hour a week and I've GOT to find out what happens to my fairy tale characters...;-)
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