Where is Time Going

Where does the time go?

I have to ask myself this question almost daily. As a writer, I spend as much time as I can on my writing, yet it seems like the day is spent on other things.

I know a lot of writers struggle with time management, I include myself in that group. Some days I'm very good at it and other days I'm not.

Some ways to help:

1. Figure out where your time goes. I've done a pie chart, draw a pie and put it into 24 pieces then write on those pieces what you do - each piece represents 1 hour
2. Write down everything you do as you do it, this will show you how much time you're spending on specific tasks
3. Delegate where you can. Can someone else do the dishes? Cook dinner? Do laundry? This isn't always possible, but delegate what you can
4. Don't over commit yourself. I'm very bad at this, I over commit all the time. It's hard to say no, but writing is your job so sometimes you have to
5. If you have issues with the internet or twitter, I handle this two ways. Set a time and when the timer goes off you must closed down the internet or get off twitter. Or you can allow yourself 15 minutes after you've written for 45 minutes.

I'm sure there are more ways, but these are some I use to help myself stay in control of my time.

If you have some time management tips please share them, I'd love to hear them.

Where Does Time Go

I have to say I don't have an idea of where time goes.

I woke up this morning and realized I didn't do a blog post for today. I've been very busy during the month of July. Taking care of a family member, working on two different books, reading, attending Romance Writers meetings, trying to keep with my exercise schedule, etc.

It seems like life doesn't stop when I want it to. Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day and sometimes I feel if I had more I would only get further behind. I constantly feel like I'm two steps behind where I need to be.

But I'm convinced August will be a better month.

Have a great week.

Where does the time go

I'm usually very good at managing my time, but lately it seems like it's getting more and more unmanageable.

I've lost track of self-imposed deadlines, material I'm should be sending out to conferences, contest entries, housework, etc.

It's been a struggle to get back on track, this week I managed some success, I wrote all week but one day, and I finished up the last of the edits on the work in progress, and it now sits in the hands of my critique partners. I still have to write the synopsis and query this week. I've been keeping up with the household bills, emails, blogs and even managed to chop down the knee high weeds in the back yard.

This week I'm determined to get back on schedule. I'll finish judging the contest entries I have and send them back, start work on the the other work in progress so I can get it ready to submit, exercise and keep up with everything else. But in order to do this I have to managed my time very carefully.

That means I can't play when I get home from the day job, it means getting everything done before I play any computer games, it means I have to be strict with myself and do what I need to do, not what I want to do.

I can do it, I've done it before.

What can you do this week? What have you been putting off that really needs to be done?