Time After Time: Avoiding Timewasters

I find it apropos that I'm writing this post on a Tuesday to schedule on a Monday that I'm flying back from a book festival I attended over the weekend.

Because today, it's about time.

Finding the time to write can be hard. Even if you have a lot of free time.There are things that distract us and things that take priority and then the day is gone and we haven't written a single word. I've written before about finding time, but I'd like to take the opposite side today.

The things that steal our time.

I'm pretty lucky. I work at home, and I have a lot of free time to write. I have large chunks of my morning I can set aside every day. But even then, I still have days where nothing gets written. Sometimes it boggles my mind how that can happen.

But in reality, it's because I know I can always do it "later." Clients will need something, so instead of writing during those hours I set aside, I jump on the computer to do "just a few things" first. And then more stuff comes in, and something else happens, and then my day is gone.

Those quick little "I'll just check X" are killers. E-mail, Facebook, blogging (oh yes, this has kept me from the page more than once), all seem so innocent, but the time adds up. Well, actually it's more like it slips away.

So, if you have time you set aside to write, don't talk yourself out of using it. Even when you have good intentions, like if you hit the dry cleaners first thing, you'll have all afternoon to write. Because life will happen and you'll remember six other things you need to do while you're out.

My best writing days are when I take advantage of those hours I set aside each morning and get my words written. Whatever time you manage to carve out for yourself, don't take it for granted.

Use it.