finding time to write when you feel like you should be working
It's hard to find time to write these days.
When they do find the time, people say this…
When I want to do some writing for ME, sometimes what holds me back are thoughts like, I "should" be doing something else like coaching, working, selling, or something more "transformational" than writing simply for the fun of it.
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard these things...
I’d buy more toilet paper! Kidding. I would buy more bamboo towels.
Even though we’ve been at home during this weird time for more than a month now, this was still something I heard from business owners all the dang time.
I know this one so intimately!
I have an almost-fully-booked copywriting business, I'm working on a book (3 years in progress now), blog weekly, support a growing writing community, and have a family — 2 kids, a dog, and a cat.
More often than not, I’ll put my writing projects to the bottom of my to-do list each day — only to write it on my to-do list for the next day.
Those days add up to me not doing the work that I say is so important to me, and then I feel shitty about not writing. Which I know is a thought, and I get to choose.
One of the reasons it irks me so much is that when I say writing is important and then I do all the writing for others and none for myself, I’m incongruent.
When talking to my coach about this, here’s what she said that changed my focus. And I’m paraphrasing here,
"By working on your writing, you're wiring your brain to show that your work and your voice is important. You're setting an example, stepping into leadership, and showing your people that you walk your talk. Also, by doing the work that lights YOU up, you'll be able to show up even better for your clients and deliver even bigger results."
When my coach said this to me, it all clicked.
By doing the work that I’ve committed to, and in a way that feels good to me, it makes me congruent.
So that helps with the thought, “I should be doing something else,” because by doing the work that I say is important to me, this shows others that their work is important too.
Now, while I can’t babysit your kids or physically make you sit down and write, here are the things I do that help me focus and get my writing done.
1. The Intuitive Writing School Community.
Yup, the community I designed to help my clients get their writing done energizes me. I might get more out of this writing community than members get. I use the 2-hour co-writing (like coworking but with a writing focus) to do my writing work. We all declare what we’re writing during each session, and as the leader of this community, I’m sure as heck going to report what I’m working on.
Some members ONLY do their writing during our writing sessions. Some look at it as an act of self-care. I agree.
2. Write in the cracks.
Sure, a 2 hour focused writing session is dreamy. Sometimes, that’s not a luxury I take, and I’ll write for just 25 minutes (one Pomodoro cycle) and call it a day. My writing progress is slower than I might like, but progress is progress.
3. Set my writing time.
This is done for me with my writing community, but on days when we don’t have a session or when other client projects take priority, I’ll block the time. Sometimes this looks like a whole day. My favorite day to focus on my writing is on Fridays. I’ll have a list of writing tasks to do for the week and save them all for one big day o’ writing.
4. Set the stage every day.
If I plan to write in the morning (Saturday mornings are sometimes my favorite time to work on my book), I’ll clear the clutter, close all the windows on my computer and only leave open what I’ll need to write. This way, when I make my coffee and crack open my laptop in the morning, I’ll have exactly what I need to get started and nothing I don’t. Like the distraction of unread emails and a list of Facebook notifications.
5. Curate a playlist.
While writing my first mini-book, I played the same playlist of songs over and over. Hearing the music was my brain’s cue to get writing. Eventually, as soon as the music started, my fingers would take over, and I’d start writing.
6. Set expectations.
Writing — or, more specifically, editing is a humbling experience. First draft writing is super surrendered and fast. Editing and revising (even on the fourth round) is where the spit shine comes in.
When we sit down to do the work that’s important to us, there will always be a pull to do something else. A distraction, a shiny object — look, squirrel!
By continuing to sharpen your focus, even when it’s uncomfortable (especially when it’s uncomfortable), you’ll not only finish the writing you start, but you’ll feel fully aligned with your purpose.
And that, friend, is magnetic.
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