Over the two-week school break in December, I got so much writing done, but during the school year, I have to reorganize my priorities. I often get asked how I accomplish so much with my writing with a full-time job and keeping up with family obligations. One of my secrets is my timer. Yep, timer.
The first thing I do when I sit down at my desk is to make a list of all the things I have to/want to do that day. (I’ll tell you more about my list-making in the next post) Then I set the timer on my phone for 20 minutes. I work at my desk until the timer goes off, then I reset it, get up, and go do something else for the next 20 minutes. I go back and forth with this system for an hour, then take a break. I learned about this system from Fly Lady. If you’ve never heard of her, you should check her out. She has SOOO many great ideas about organizing your life. Her website is www.flylady.net.
So far today, I have done all the laundry, vacuumed, dusted, put dinner in the crockpot, made a picture file for my illustrator, updated the links on my website, and reformatted one of my books. And it’s only 2:30! It really works. Making small chunks out of big tasks makes them seem less intimidating.
Some authors use what are called “sprints” to get a lot of writing done. All this means is that you set yourself a goal and write for a set amount of time (hmm… like 20 minutes, maybe?). You try to beat your goal during that sprint. Doing multiple sprints can really get the word count up! There are even Facebook groups dedicated to doing springs. Maybe your competitive spirit thrives on beating others, or you need that challenge of seeing how much others write, to up your game. I’ve never tried those, but they sound like fun. Maybe it’s time to sign up for one. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Having the 20-minute chunks really helps me focus my energy on one task and getting it done. I don’t tend to waste time on scrolling through websites or panicking about how much I need to accomplish. I simply leave it on the list and pick one thing at a time.
I’ve found that there are times when the timer goes off that I’m right in the middle of a great idea or a task that I need to complete, and that’s ok, too. I keep going until I reach a stopping point and reset the timer. There is no wrong way to do this. Using this system, I managed to get two of my children’s books written in two weeks.
I like 20 minutes. Maybe you need to start smaller and only do 10 minutes at a time. Find your own pace and see how much you can get finished.
Well, the timer just went off. I’m going to go fold some clothes. I hope you have a great week and get lots accomplished, too!