How To Take Time Out For Writing In Your Busy Schedule

In this very busy and hurdle world, doing something we enjoy, in this case doing your own personal writing outside of school and work is near impossible for some of us. But, if you implant some of these tips, you'll be able to balance your life and be able to complete that story you've been putting off.

Couple minutes a day goes a long way -

Let's be honest, it's easier said than done to have to sit and write after a long busy day of work, even if you're working on that exciting story. But, if we implement a couple minutes of writing either that is 5 min to 15 min, we can get somewhere with our writing rather than not ever touching it. You can also just brainstorm, make a list, research, or even draw which can help you keep continuing working on your story. If we do something every day that will get us to keep thinking about our writing, then we will eventually get somewhere with our work. If you can get a couple of minutes of writing done either before you go to sleep, during a break, or before dinner, that will eventually become a habit and you'll keep doing it no matter how much of a long day you had.

Setting Goals

This is very important, having to know what you want at the end of a finish line is very important. This will motivate you to keep progressing and putting in that work. For example, maybe writing 500 words each day could be your goal or coming up with a climax for your story. Goals can be big as publishing your book to as small as coming up with the name of your character (that's important too though). Another thing is knowing and believing in yourself to accomplish that goal and setting a work plan. You've probably heard of SMART goals, it stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. An example of that is - "I will write 500 words, Monday through Friday for 20 min before I go to sleep". When making a SMART goal or any kind of goal, it's important to remember that you don't create a goal that you won't be able to achieve, make it flexible with your schedule and how much you can handle. "I will write 2,000 words every day for an hour before I go to bed" is not realistic or in my opinion a goal of mine because I know I won't be able to keep up with it. Always start small and when you start achieving those goals, then upgrade your goals.

Reward Yourself

We're mostly on our own when we write, and the honest truth is that no one knows how much hard work we're putting in to achieve our dreams except ourself. That being said, we should always appreciate and reward ourselves. That can be going on a date with yourself at your favorite restaurant or going shopping. It can also be very simple things like making yourself sleep in during your day offs, getting yourself a bubble bath, or binge watching something. Just anything that makes you happy or you would want someone to do for you. If we do this, we will not only feel accomplished but more motivated to keep our progress going.

To end off, I hope these simple tips can help you keep writing and finish your projects. If I can leave you off with one thing, it would be consistency with these tips. It's okay if you miss a day or two, just show up the next day and keep going. Life goes on so don't be too hard on yourself. You're already working so hard if you're here wanting to learn how to balance life and writing.