Massimo Marino's Blog: The Ramblings and the Rumblings - Posts Tagged "lack-of-time"
Desperately seeking for Time
It's a common thing to hear from non-writers: I would write a book, but I simply have no time to write. Usually they also give you "the look" as in "you have too much free time for yourself. Jobless? No family? No kids?"
This is where you have to be honest with yourself. A day has 24 hours. We have enough time in our lives to do whatever we like to do with it. If we choose NOT to write, we have to acknowledge that it is a choice we have made, and time has little to do with it.
Are we after so much money that we have to slave extra jobs to support it? People are quite content (and *truly* happy) earning far less than what we believe is the threshold to happiness.
Have you chosen to take on extra volunteer jobs, or to take a job that is far from home? Yes, it's great to feel productive and it's great to have numerous hobbies, but again, we have that 24 hours allotted time with each day and if we feel the urge to write it needs to have a slot in there. We may choose to do other things instead, then those other items will have priority, but time is not an issue.
Many famous writers had full time jobs, had families and parents to care for. They sat down, looked at their schedule for the week, and set aside time for their writing. It was important to them - to ease their urge.
In airplanes they say to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, right? Your own mental state needs care just as much as other things do. If you become overly stressed and worn down, you can't help others properly. Every hour you spend is less effective. To be fully helpful to others, you must meet your own needs, too. Also as a writer.
So sit down and go through your schedule. Look at all the things you've chosen to do. Fit in an hour for writing. And then DO it. Put up a "do not disturb" sign. This is your time. The more you make this an important part of your normal schedule, the more others will respect your efforts, support you, and your dreams will become a reality.
This is where you have to be honest with yourself. A day has 24 hours. We have enough time in our lives to do whatever we like to do with it. If we choose NOT to write, we have to acknowledge that it is a choice we have made, and time has little to do with it.
Are we after so much money that we have to slave extra jobs to support it? People are quite content (and *truly* happy) earning far less than what we believe is the threshold to happiness.
Have you chosen to take on extra volunteer jobs, or to take a job that is far from home? Yes, it's great to feel productive and it's great to have numerous hobbies, but again, we have that 24 hours allotted time with each day and if we feel the urge to write it needs to have a slot in there. We may choose to do other things instead, then those other items will have priority, but time is not an issue.
Many famous writers had full time jobs, had families and parents to care for. They sat down, looked at their schedule for the week, and set aside time for their writing. It was important to them - to ease their urge.
In airplanes they say to put on your own oxygen mask before helping others, right? Your own mental state needs care just as much as other things do. If you become overly stressed and worn down, you can't help others properly. Every hour you spend is less effective. To be fully helpful to others, you must meet your own needs, too. Also as a writer.
So sit down and go through your schedule. Look at all the things you've chosen to do. Fit in an hour for writing. And then DO it. Put up a "do not disturb" sign. This is your time. The more you make this an important part of your normal schedule, the more others will respect your efforts, support you, and your dreams will become a reality.
