There isn’t a single proven approach that everyone can follow when it comes to time management. We each have different responsibilities to juggle, and while finding a time management technique that suits your unique needs can be challenging, learning to manage your time is incredibly important. For one, it can help reduce stress and anxiety and help boost your confidence. It’s also necessary if you want to achieve a healthy work-life balance, which as a writer, can seem impossible to achieve. Not to mention that it massively boosts productivity and reduces the tendency to procrastinate. In this post, we’ll walk you through three techniques that we have found extremely helpful.
One of the best ways to manage your time as a writer is to make writing a morning habit. Putting writing off for later will eventually lead to procrastination and decreased productivity. What you could’ve finished in 3 hours in the morning might take you twice the amount of time in the afternoon, especially if you have other responsibilities to tend to. Many people find it easier to sit down after they’ve had their morning cup of coffee and finish everything they need to do.
From a scientific point of view, we are the most energized early in the day, feel drained during the middle, and start to recover later in the afternoon. Each person’s biological clock is different, of course, and keeping track of your fluctuating energy levels is key. However, most people experience their peak levels before noon, feel drained around 1 – 4PM and start to recover at around 4 – 5PM. Your peak energy level is when you’re most attentive and alert, which is why you don’t want to push your writing to that dreaded dead zone of productivity known as the “afternoon.”
If you’ve completed your daily writing dose earlier during the day, this is the perfect opportunity to build momentum. When we finish tasks quickly or earlier than usual, we feel more accomplished and motivated. Use this opportunity, along with the extra time on your hands, to start working on similar activities. Whether you need to record a podcast, complete a piece of writing that you’ve been putting off, or come up with content topics for the next two months, try to do more work in one go while you’re still energized.
While this is a no-brainer, many people find it really hard to avoid distractions. Let’s be honest, it’s really difficult to completely eliminate distractions, but there is nothing worse than being on a roll, as a writer, just for something to pop up and throw you off your game. This is why you need to identify your distractions and figure out a way to reduce them. This could mean that you need to do your writing while your kids or at school or turn your phone off as soon as you decide to hit the keyboard.
Time management is a skill that takes a lot of time, effort, and practice to master. Since there is no single proven way to take control of your day, you’ll have to experiment with different techniques until you find something that works for you. However, with these tips, we can guarantee that, eventually, you will kiss procrastination good bye and become the best productive version of yourself!
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