How To Prioritize Your Writing

One of the biggest challenges many writers face is finding the time to write. If you aren’t able to write full-time, you need to create a writing schedule that fits around your day job and maximizes your efficiency and productivity - so that when you do get a chance to sit down and write, you make the most of the time you have.

However it can be all too easy, no matter how good your intentions are, to find that other jobs or chores or social engagements get in the way of your writing, and soon it falls further and further down the list of your priorities until it slips off the radar altogether.

So how can you ensure that you make writing a top priority in your life?

Here are some helpful tips:

Get better at time management

To be able to prioritize your writing you need to first identify when it is you actually can write. So the best thing to do is to write down a list of all the things you have to do and all the deadlines you have for those things. This can be anything from your job to doing the laundry to hanging out with friends.

Once you have your list, you need to reflect on what is important to you, and what you could sacrifice to make sure that you have enough time to get your writing done. You can split your list into two columns, those things that are essential and those that are just for fun. From here you can figure out where you could cut back so that your schedule is freer for writing time.

It’s essential to be real and honest with yourself here. If you love your weekly wine and natter with your girlfriends, don’t pretend that you’ll give it up when you’ll either make yourself miserable by doing so or feel guilty when you never do. It’s OK to have other priorities, hobbies, and interests as well as writing, but you do need to work out how important it is to you and make sure you make time for it if it is indeed a priority in your life.

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Block out your free time

Once you have an overview of where you have free time, you need to block it out. Don’t leave it open to be filled with other non-essential tasks or commitments. Instead, put it in your diary, block it out in your calendar. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that this time is non-negotiable and set aside to write.

Be committed

At the end of the day, you are the only person who can truly commit to your writing schedule. So make sure that you are. Give yourself a one month trial period where you absolutely must stick to it, no matter what. If you find at the end of the month you are into the swing of things then you know you’ll be able to continue. If you don’t, and find you are stressed and behind on other tasks or just miserable and feel like you are missing out on other things you enjoy, then you need to revisit your schedule and see where changes can be made.

Don’t compare yourself to others

It’s very easy to look at other writers who are producing more work than you and feel like a failure. But to keep writing as a priority, you need to be able to write when it suits you. If you force yourself into it, you won’t enjoy it and will probably end up writing less. You have to write at your own pace. That’s not to say you shouldn’t push yourself, but making yourself exhausted and unhappy is not going to make you a brilliant writer so stay flexible and allow yourself a little grace from time to time too!

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