Finding the TIME to Write.
Published on Jul 18 2011 | Filed under: For Writers
I am not the only one who has ever thought this, in fact what I am about to bring up is a thought that is hugely common to all writers. Time sucks. Because, let’s face it, writing takes time. Bad writing takes an eternity, good writing takes twice that. Right now, I have four jobs, a new boyfriend, a new lease on life that makes me want to do nothing but play and play (because now that I’m finally out of hell I think I have a right to some fun before I die!) as well as the sudden realization that I have been living to work, putting aside the things I want to do to make other people happy (without pay most of the time) and leaving an office job to go home and get back to work and that I am simply no longer willing to do this. I am no longer willing to drop my life to make other people happy, I am no longer willing to take client calls on my personal cell phone at eleven o’clock at night and I am no longer willing to check my email and do updates (without pay again mind you) 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Its About Balance
So, with that all said, where does that leave my writing time? First things first is that I must prioritize. A few years ago if I heard someone had quit working for a non profit organization to have more time for themselves I would have thought them selfish bastards. Now, of course, my view is a bit different. Now when I hear someone has to drop the work they’re doing for other people I think, wow, what courage, good for them. Because now I know just how mind and soul sucking organizations can be, in fact any work you do for free will somehow start to grow and breed until suddenly it is all that you are doing in your spare time. Don’t get me wrong, you will find great acclaim and a ton of pats on the back for this kind of work but, unless you’re retired, you will get nothing else out of it accept the loss of your writing time. Is that entirely fair? No, I owe a lot to the wonderful organizations I have been a part of, but there must be balance and they all have one thing in common, if you give a little bit of time, you will end up giving all of it and more.
So, prioritize, it is time to get selfish. Take a close look at everything you do in a day. Just like if you were strapped for cash and you needed to look at every penny of spending, it’s time do that with your time. With money you look at that gym membership and think, “Would I rather have that or the money? Is it worth the money I’m sending on it? Is it benefiting me enough to continue paying for it?” Now, its time do that with every minute in your day. With money there are things you can’t set aside like paying rent, paying your house payment, paying for insurance and filling up your gas tank and so it also is with time like sleeping, showering, doing laundry, eating and going to work. However, if you’re like me, there are things that you can let go of. My biggest hurdle was forcing myself into regular hours with my web business. The first thing I did was decide that I would NEVER work more than twelve hour days again. So, that means after working ten hours at my three other jobs than I only have two hours to work on my web updates. If I go over twelve hours before I even get to my email than I don’t do updates that day. And the updates that get into my inbox first (as well as those people that are nice about it, do not nag me, call me, suggest I am not taking my business seriously enough and bitch at me like its the end of the world and also that actually pay me) get first dibs on my time.
So, look at your life and think time-wise like you would money-wise, “Would I rather do that or have the time for my writing/myself? Is it worth the time I’m spending on it? Is it even benefiting me enough to continue wasting my time on it?”
So, has this been a Detriment to my business?
In all actuality, I have suffered very little from cutting my hours. With my new attitude, I have no problem looking anyone in the eye and saying, “Find someone else, the money is not worth the amount of time it will take me to do it. I would rather be poor than your servant.” So (if I do lose business) it will only be the business that couldn’t pay me enough to make it worth it anyway.
Selfish? Absolutely! I have removed myself as far as I could from the Blank Canvas Gallery (I am no longer a member and am hanging my prints elsewhere though I still do some updates for them), am doing bare minimum for the Jackpine Writers’ Bloc (got those two big books done now if I make a writers’ meeting its because I feel like it not because I’m obligated to) and those web clients that have a problem with my new schedule I am gladly referring to other web designers. First I think, what do I want to be doing right now? Whether it be golfing, having sex, playing Nintendo, watching a movie or writing, I find now that I actually have the time and the choice to do it.
What is Really Remarkable
What is truly remarkable is that I haven’t actually freed up all that much of my time. Instead, I’ve freed up my heart. I have given myself the hall pass for my whole life. Those phone calls are not the end of the world, neither are those emails, none of it is worth fretting or stressing over. In fact, they can wait for another day and it’s ok if I dissapoint someone and maybe they find another person to update their websites. Its okay. I have a pass. Because, quite frankly, that’s not how I want to live my life. I’m not here to make certain I don’t disappoint other people. I’m here to make certain that I don’t disappoint myself ever again and that means putting what I want to do in this life first. I want to write and the only thing that should ever come first are the have to’s: like paying bills and sleeping; anything else is trivial. And I am pleased to report that with my new attitude and time I have been able to even take a day or two off a month to spend with my family 
