4 Easy Ways to Find Time to Write with a Full Time Job
In a fairytale world, we would all get to spend eight hours a day sitting at a computer, writing AWESOME books people are obsessed with reading. Right? But that’s not our reality . . . the reality is that most of us need to find time to write around a full time job. Am I right?
Well, if this is you, I have great news! There are 4 easy ways for you to find more time to write during the week AND actually stick with it. Here’s how. 👇
Struggling to Find Time to Write around your busy schedule? These 4 tips will help.
When I first began to write children’s books, I used to never think I had time to write. I was always the girl scrambling to write a 300-word picture book the day before a critique, just so I had something to bring.
But I knew in order to be published, I had to change. So I went from that girl to the girl who wrote more than a MILLION words in a year. All while still having a job.
Here’s how you can do it, too.
1 – Choose a consistent time.
You don’t have to write every day. You don’t.
However, you DO have to write consistently. So look at your calendar — where in your week can you commit to write for 1 hour? Mark that down and hold that space like an appointment. Even if it’s only every Saturday from 7am-8am that you write, that’s 4 hours more time spent writing each month.
2 – Make a plan for what to write about.
It’s not enough to just show up to write. You also need to know what you’re going to write about. (Otherwise, you’ll spend your hour searching baby names to give to your character.)
So make a plan before you’re scheduled to write. What do you want to focus on? And what’s a realistic goal you can set to accomplish during that time? Doing so will keep you motivated.
3 – Eliminate all distractions.
Just like the baby names, there are a TON of ways for us to get distracted during our writing time. Like with Facebook, our phones, Tik Tok, reels on Instagram, the dog begging to go outside, our kids asking what’s for breakfast, our husband looking for a project, etc. etc.
Once you find time to write, you don’t want to lose it due to distractions. So silence your phone, close all your browser tabs, and shut the door. It’s time to focus.
4 – Give yourself permission to suck.
If you’re a perfectionist, this is going to be really hard for you to do. But it’s what used to hold me back from finishing a first draft. You want it to be perfect, so you freeze, staring at the computer because greatness doesn’t come to you.
It’s time to let that go. After all, you can always edit later. But you can’t edit what doesn’t exist.
There you have it. The 4 easy ways to make more time to write even if you have a full time job: choosing a time that you can commit to, having a plan for what to work on, eliminating all distractions, and giving yourself permission to suck.
If you’re ready to get started working on your children’s book today, grab the template here. It’s your first step to finishing your book. 😃
Prefer to watch a quick video with the 4 tips to find more time to write? Watch this.
And for more productivity tips, check out these articles around the blog:
- Work from Home Habits to Make You Productive
- 3 Ways to Finish Your Book on Time
- 4 Easy Ways to Write More with Less Time
- 7 Morning Routine Hacks to be a Productive Writer
