Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Finding Time

I need some good ideas. Day after day I get all sorts of other work done... but not work on my novel. I manage to get all of my grading done on time, manage to keep the kids clean and off on their errands, manage to (mostly) keep the house acceptable (though it's mostly pit right now), but day after day I don't get to my novel.

I'd work on it now, I'm about to put the kids to bed, but I have more papers to grade.

I don't know what I can use, but give me all of the advice you've got, everything you or people you know do to manage time more efficiently.

I don't ask for advice often, but once in a while I figure out I don't know it all. Any ideas?

5 comments:

  1. My method - no sleep.

    I'm not sure I can recommend it, though.

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  2. The alternate, of course, is to just do everything faster.

    Not sure I can recommend that one either.

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  3. No help. The idea is the hardest part. I get most of mine from dreams. So, unlike Stephanie, I would say sleep.

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  4. If it really matters you will find the time... awhile back, I realized I was actually scared to finish my book, so unconsciously I found other things to demand my time... I was scared to fail, scared to be done with something that has been a part of me for so long, scared that the past year was wasted on a book that in the long run wouldn't matter.

    Basically, I realized if it mattered—really mattered, to me, I would find the time.
    If your mother needed help moving, would you find the time to help? I bet you would.
    If your kids had a play would you find the time to go? I bet you would.
    If a good friend needed your help would you find the time to help, regardless what it did to your schedule? I know you would...

    Then you will find the time to work on your book, if it really matters to you!
    If not… then you might like the idea of writing a book, rather than actually doing it, finishing it.

    I hope you find the way... I know it took me long enough.

    best of luck.

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  5. How much time do you spend trying to find time?

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