Breaking Up With Time — Finding Writing Flow With Complete Freedom
For almost two decades, I tracked my time for every business task. This was partly a carryover habit from working in management consulting, where we had to track and bill our client project time in fifteen-minute increments. Then, when I started my freelance copywriting business, I tracked time for clients whom I initially billed hourly (I didn't do this long).
I continued tracking my time for every business task to have data to see where the time was going for particular business tasks and to see how much time I was investing in my book projects, blogging, social media posting, and client projects. Even though I now bill my clients on a deliverable basis (not hourly), I track my time to see how much I am dedicating.
At the end of June, that all completely changed.
After coming out the other side of a truly transformational 9-day program — Magnetic Money Manifesting (I know, the name sounds like it has to do with money, and I don't yet have the words to articulate the magnitude of the experience, but I can tell you it will rewire your brain and lead to rethinking EVERYTHING).
It led me to question every action in my life and business, and it led to instant (much-needed) changes.
First, I popped open the first two weeks of business tasks I had slated on my Q3 plan. Deleted everything and started fresh.
These were things I thought I needed to do and didn't.
There was one uncomfortable change that I'm still getting used to.
TIME.
I now see that my relationship with time — or the fake construct of time we willingly interact with here on earth — had to go.
Driven by time…
Being on time meant being 10 minutes early — always.
Rushing. Sometimes, for no real good reason.
Thinking about how many hours I spent on a particular project, I wondered if the hundreds of hours I dedicated to my last book would be "worth it?" Rhetorical question. Of course, it was if it felt aligned.
Heading to the kitchen between 11 and 12 because it was "lunchtime."
Eating dinner between 5-6 because it was "dinner time."
Feeling like I was wasting time when I slept past 7:00 a.m.
These are all BS, made-up ideas.
The relationship between writing flow and time.
You know what flow state feels like. When you're lost in a project, even if it's challenging, you lose track of time. It's as if your body disappears. You tune out the world and are fully immersed. The hours tick by without a second thought.
Being in flow feels amazing. We chase this state, which leads to massive breakthroughs, creativity, and downloads. And… more flow.
This is my go-to state when writing. I set up the conditions so that I could find my flow on the page. Brain off, dialed in, slow and deep breathing, and off I go to write.
It's how I'm writing this piece right now. It's the ONLY way I write.
I wrote this at 39,000 feet with ginger tea and spicy dark chocolate.
I've trained myself to write this way after years of trying to censor, filter, and edit myself as I wrote. Writing that way is stifling, stiff, and contrived. It's constipated writing.
Even though I found plenty of flow in the writing, I'd start my timer before I began writing. I could still find flow, but when it was done, it was a conscious turning off.
I wondered how I'd write in a state of COMPLETE flow.
Now, some things require time that I agreed to — hair appointments, dental cleanings, and client meetings.
But what if I could remove time and its constraints from the rest of my life and work?
⏳ Work as many hours as I need and want to on a client project.
⏳Write on my book for as long as I want. It's been years since I used a Pomodoro timer, and I haven't worn a watch in 30 years. I sold my Garmin after I became a slave to my per-mile run time and let it ruin the joy of running for me. I wore a Fitbit for only a few weeks before getting rid of it.
Without the constraints of time, what would be possible?
Never needing to rush
More flow
Creativity with no limits
Taking my time would be the status quo
Less uptightness
No more telling the kids to "hurry up" (I'm sure this is where I learned it as a kid)
No longer thinking about trading time for money — it takes as long as it takes
Writing without judgment (no more feeling bad about "only" spending 10 minutes this week on my book)
One less tab open in my browsers because I'm no longer tracking every minute
Feeling completely free to publish this article or a newsletter on a Friday because that's what felt right. Instead of waiting and scheduling it for a Sunday, or a Tuesday, or whatever other day, I thought I needed to write it just for consistency's sake.
This is just one more layer I'm applying to help me find my flow. I'm about to dip into flow with a small group of participants in what might be the last round of Finding Flow (I know now, never to say never).
