It’s About Time.
Do you feel like it is impossible to set aside time out of your packed schedule to dedicate to writing? Or when you think about how to fit writing into your schedule, it will require additional time to plan?
I've been in that same position; caught in the pinwheel of responsibility loops with the desire to start a new routine and feeling guilty for not.
The most recent activity I wanted to incorporate into my day was to spend more time checking off books from my "to be read" list and free myself from mostly reading for work. A typical day of reading consists of first draft manuscripts, instruction manuals, journal articles, and industry news. And while I really enjoy the work I do, I wanted to be completely immersed in a story, getting lost in the characters' plight without analyzing or criticising the text.
I was so excited and anxious to begin but had trouble finding the right time and which book to read. Then I got sick of prioritizing everything else and figured out the quickest and easiest way for me to start was to answer the following questions:
What do I want to do? Read more books outside of my work.
How am I going to do it? Read one chapter per day.
When am I doing it? At night, when I am in bed, before going to sleep.
When will I start? Tonight!
There were plenty of options on my shelves of newly purchased books with unbroken spines to choose from. I picked a book atop the closest shelf, which happened to be The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor.
I did not look at my schedule. I picked the time because that's when I would usually scroll through the socials to catch up on videos in the group chat. That night this past January, I replaced doom scrolling with one chapter read. Over the course of my reading, I realized the topics covered in a couple of Naylor's chapters were emotionally taxing, and I would've preferred to read them earlier in the day. But I stayed the course because it was working, and I did that until I finished the book.
I was beginning to feel accomplished well before I finished the story. Proud of myself. I was doing what I said I would do. I showed up for what I considered a small but significant addition to my life.
Now, I still read at night and have added reading to the first thing I do in the morning. Two chapters a day is my new goal, and I now read more of my TBR than before.
Just Start Writing
I get it. Your time is already spent before the day begins.
It is difficult to incorporate a new writing practice into your routine when you are time deficient. However, there is a way to decrease the pressure you feel to figure out your schedule and feel accomplished quickly.
To develop a writing practice that becomes routine, you need to start. Do not worry that you haven't had time to plan out a schedule or create an aesthetic for your work area. Starting, even when it is not the perfect time, which doesn't exist, builds discipline on the way to the routine. And in the long run, discipline carries us further than only writing when we feel inspired.
Set a small goal. A few minutes of writing per day, a page per week, replace writing for an activity you want to stop, or pair it with another activity by recording audio while commuting and transcribing it later in the week. Building a history of accomplishing your goal in pieces will help you long-term.
Use writing prompts. Short writing prompts are great when you've had a long day and do not have the capacity to think of what to write. Your prompt collection can be specific to a particular genre to support your creativity and flexibility for writing. You can also generate your own prompts to develop your ideas and build your manuscript.
I often use reflective journaling prompts for workshops and one-on-one client sessions to help initiate the writing process. So, I created A Creative Reflective Journal with "mini-introspective prompts to start your creative writing practice."
Download or preorder your copy today. This journal will help you start. It is time.
