I find that most of the writers I work with have lives similar to my own. We’re all extremely busy. Maybe it’s because writers have active imaginations and as a result, we thrive on being busy. But in the midst of wearing so many hats, let’s discuss how to create a balanced life.
Try this exercise…plot out where you spend your time. This can include home responsibilities such as taking kids to and from school and sports, work responsibilities such as writing/editing or social media, time with your spouse, chores around the house, and maybe there’s even some “me” time in the mix.
If we were to label our responsibilities and place them into categories, we might label some as “rewarding,” others as “fun,” and perhaps some as “drudgery” (for me, folding laundry fits into this category).
The rewarding and fun activities serve to energize us whereas those activities that we label drudgery sap our energy, but unfortunately, that doesn’t mean we can turn our back on our responsibilities. But we can work smarter.
My dislike of folding laundry becomes more bearable if done while watching a TV movie. Sometimes, the family turns it into a game. Whoever folds their clothes first, gets to pick the movie.
Helping writers falls into my “rewarding” and “fun” categories. I’m lucky in the respect that I love what I do for a living. But, I love it so much that sometimes I find myself at odds to give my family the time they deserve. This is another reason why I believe strongly in establishing specific times for work, family, chores, exercise, the list goes on.
We’re all busy, but if we approach our tasks systematically, we can lead a more rewarding life. Once you plot out your daily and weekly tasks, assigning each one a value and place in your life, you can fit more into a busy day. And, you’ll find that it is possible to create that balance we all desire.
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