This I know for sure...

Isn't strange that we always find the time to do the things that have to be done i.e. go to work, pay bills, make meals, clean the house and do the laundry, take the kids to various school related events, etc? The list goes on and on.

Yet, there are very few of us who find the time to do the things we want to do, not just for ourselves but for others as well. There are so many "unimportant" things I'd like to find time for, but even if I put them on my To Do list, they always seem to fall to the bottom and get pushed from one day to the next because I just don't have time to squeeze them in between the full time job, writing and promotional time, and family/household responsibilities. 

It's been said time and again that we all only get 24 hours in a day and it's up to us how we utilize that time. Even writing daily schedules as I've mentioned in a previous post, I rarely have time to do those things I'd like to have time for. A friend suggested getting up earlier in the day and taking advantage of the extra time. Considering I already get up at 5:00am six days a week, that's not something I really want to do so until I figure out how to fit more things in my day, that list of things I'd like to do will have to wait a little longer.

Finding Balance

Like most writers, I juggle writing time, promoting my published works, familial obligations, and a day job. And like most people on the planet, I like to have some down time to just breathe and be. Trying to do everything that I felt needed to be done often left me feeling like the proverbial hamster running on a wheel.

Deciding I hated feeling frazzled and exhausted by the time I fell into bed every night, I knew I needed to make a change. Something had to give or I'd end up with stress related illnesses that could have been prevented. Three Sundays ago I sat down and looked at an average day and how I spent each minute. I've always considered myself a person who was organized, sometimes to a fault. I realized that while I'm organized in terms of a place for everything and everything in its place, I'm not so great at organizing my time.

Determined to fit all those "must do's" into my day, I tried scheduling them instead of flying by the seat of my pants and thinking "I'll just fit it in." Each night before bed, I write my schedule for the next day. I block out time for the hours I'm at the day job, for writing, family, household chores, and exercise. Sundays are now computer free and writing/promo free days. It's my day to spend my time however I'd like and not think about what I should be doing. It lets me start the week fresh and stress free.

Although I've only been doing it for two weeks, I already feel a sense of accomplishment each night as I look at everything I've done that particular day. Having everything scheduled has allowed me to find the balance between writing/promotion and all of my other responsibilities. I realize there will be days that something unexpected comes up and will throw my schedule off, but I believe those days will be few and far between. And in the meantime, I'm less stressed and getting more done than I ever was before.