Putting First Things First: Why I Need a Writing Schedule
I wrote this post for the writing co-op of which I am a part – The Whole Story Media Group – and because it is timely and because the re-use of the post makes sense given it’s content, I’m posting it again here. I’m eager to hear what you guys have to say.
It’s 8:30 on Monday night. This post should have gone live twelve hours ago, but the truth is that I just forgot. In all the excitement of this past weekend, in a drive to PA to help my grandparents, I just lost track of this.
One of the things that it is easy to do as a full-time writer is to put everything before my writing – before my work. Because I don’t have to clock in at a particular hour, because I work alone, because I can work at night with a computer on my lap and The Sing-Off on the screen, sometimes I let other things come between me and my work.
I see this same problem with my students. They let time with their friends or TV or even jobs come between them and their studies. There is nothing wrong with friends or TV or working to support ourselves. But if our ultimate goal is something other than these things, we have to find a way to make our goals our priorities.
For me, writing is my primary work priority. It is who I am and what I do. I need to treat it as such.
I think it’s time when I began to work this job like it’s actually my work. Five days a week, eight hours a day. I think that’s what I need to be about.
This requires sacrifice – less freedom of movement, perhaps less time free, fewer late nights and the subsequent late mornings. But it comes with such great rewards – words, sentences, paragraphs, and pages. I’m ready.
How about you? What is your top work priority? Do you give it your primetime? Why not?