Good Morning World!

Week two of the school holidays and I'm hiding out with the laptop in bed.  Why?

Solitude!  Sweet Solitude is what I am craving right now.  Don't get me wrong, my girls are great company, but after ten years of being at home fulltime, I'm used to silence only interrupted by the sound of my dog snoring while I work...

Today, though, I wanted to consider time management.  I'm terrible at time management.  Why?  Because I flit here and there.  I allow myself to be interested in other things.  See... told you I'm terrible at it...

So today, I wanted to raise some ideas...

1. Write regularly.  How does writing regularly help with time management, you ask?  Simple.  The practice of writing regularly (and for many, that means daily) is like any other muscle being exercised.  The more it is used, the stronger it becomes.  When you write regularly, the flow becomes easier to command.  So, to be more productive, you need to write as often as possible.

2. Take regular breaks.  This is another one of those huh? points.  Taking regular breaks, allows you to look at your work, allow your mind to rest and refresh.  This is a good time to stretch those non-writing muscles, grab a glass of water or some nutritious snacks to feed the activity of the brain.

3.  Set a goal.  How many words/pages/paragraphs you need to achieve it a great way to start your day.  It can motivate if you set realistic word limits for the day.  You say, I need to write 2K today.  At the end of your writing time, you may have 2200 which means you are closer to the end.  You feel positive.  You feel good. 

4.  Have your resources handy.  That might include a dictionary, thesaurus.  Whatever you need to work, without needing to get up, sit down... hunt around.  Not having everything handy can be one of the biggest time wasters out there.

5.  Learn to switch off.  That might mean the radio, the phone or Facebook and Twitter.  Plan your time accordingly.  Let everyone know you will be unavailable within certain hours.  When you are distraction free, you can achieve so much more.

A final note:  Sure, it's important to manage our time.  After all, we are authors, right?  But sometimes you have to also be able to allow yourself to goof off.  To be free.  Rather like a diet.

So remember, plan, organise and prioritise. 

And before I forget... I'm participating in the Where In The World Secret Cravings Blog.  Running from 7 - 9 October (Aussie time).

See you soon
Imogene