Prioritizing for a Writer & Their Schedule

As a writer, we are entrepreneurs. We are passionate about what we do. Another allure to this lifestyle is to have a writer's schedule. A schedule to pick and choose what the day holds, along with the opportunity to hone our craft as we wish. The only problem is, our lives are not just about writing. We have families, other obligations, other writing ventures and sometimes other businesses that take our time as well. Not to mention all the other responsibilities of being a writer; like writing more books, book reviews, social media, recommendations for others, a blog, answering emails, book engagements, promotion and the list goes on and on.

When I first started writing, it was and still is the biggest high I could get. I wrote and did a little social media, leaving my days free and feeling quite alive. Even though I had a family and other personal responsibilities, it didn't feel rushed or crowded at all.

Now, sometimes I wonder how I can get all my writing gigs done in the time allotted and often realize as my writing career grows, it's now a full-time job to say the least.

So how do we navigate all this as we grow, learn and succeed as writers?

I mean, we are creative people. So shouldn't we be able to creatively figure out our own schedules? Not always, creative people sometimes are the most unorganized and disconnected to time. Don't we get lost in the flow of writing and lose track of time, always?

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Balance is key. Prioritize what task is most important to your career and then move forward. Relax, take your time and breathe. Sometimes when we rush through our day we get less done or miss valuable opportunities. This in turn causes stress, headaches, mistakes, more missed time or even forces us to do tasks twice all because we were rushing.

I always say if you need to go out and meet your readers, plug promos, go socialize with other writers, or radio/tv spots that would be a high priority.

Social media is a necessity, but how much time you spend on social media is the difference. Writers like to get caught up in social media, myself included, at times. Even though it is very important, it needs to be contained. A writer friend of mine asked several weeks ago, "How do you navigate email?" He was caught up in all the social media emails. Before he knew it, several hours had passed not leaving him much time to do other tasks he had on his list. I explained there is a process of running through an email list, scanning for the important emails needing a response. Then, he could schedule a time to "socialize". Even set a timer to remind him when to shut it down and move on to another task would help.

If you're a blogger, set a schedule when to write that next article and release it on time. But if you don't have the time to blog every day, then don't. Pick the right schedule that works for you. Just last week, I missed an article because even I didn't plan well enough for my week. That's going to happen once in a while. When it does, don't beat yourself up over it. Learn from the blunder and you will know better next time.

Make a schedule daily or weekly. It doesn't always have to be set in stone, but rather as a guide for what you want to accomplish. What is most important and when? Now if other tasks come up in a day, then prioritize and try to determine which is most important to you. It's fine to be open to schedule changes and flows in your life. If you've scheduled a writing session, but you're not feeling very creative or fresh with ideas then look over your list. Maybe this time would be better served answering emails or social media and swap the two. I recommend doing what feels right for your career.

On one particular day, I awoke at 4 a.m. Did I want to get up? NO! But I couldn't sleep and had energy. I thought about writing but something just didn't feel right. So, I started going through emails which led me to get on social media. And I'm glad I did, because I was able to have a few conversations that answered some questions I had. Plus, I made more connections with people that I wouldn't normally get a chance to talk with.

So, you never know what the day will bring. Time management is a personal choice as everyone's schedule is different. It's learning how to navigate that under pressure, how to take it in stride without ruining your health and relationships over it. Try your best to handle it right the first time around, so you're not wasting more energy and time fixing it a second time. Prioritize what is most important to least important and this aspect does change as your career evolves. Balance your career, personal life, social engagements with ease and do the best you can with a positive attitude.

There is always enough time in the day. If you feel there isn't, then most likely your schedule needs adjustment or it can wait until tomorrow. There is a time to write, a time to blog, a time to greet readers, a time for media...ok, maybe I'm copying the movie "Footloose", now I want to dance. And yes, there is a time to dance!

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