I’ll be honest. I don’t have the cure-all answer for you. If I did, then I would be an epic working machine, and probably making an eye-popping amount of money for my one-stop-shop solution and not struggling to make money by being an Indie Author. What I can write about is my favorite way to manage my time. Yeah?
Back in February, I came across a podcast called Systemize Your Life with Chelsi Jo upon a recommendation. It’s a fantastic podcast, check it out if podcast are your thing (that comes and goes for me). Anyway, she talks about using the block method to keep yourself organized so that life doesn’t feel like you’re struggling to keep up with one thing to the next.
Struggling.
That’s exactly how I was feeling with my writing.
I wanted to write, but I didn’t seem to have the time, even though we all have the same 24 hours in a day. When I sat down to examine why I felt so behind, I realized I spent way too much time on social media. Ever heard of Doom Scrolling? That was me. Sitting down, I had a “come to Jesus” moment that I said, “If you aspire to be a successful author, you to stop wishing you were these other authors you see on social media.”
Obviously, I knew that from the beginning, but sometimes I need those moments that remind me to move past where I am and into something that is more. We are all capable of more, but often our brains need convincing otherwise.
So, with a plan in hand, I handwrote (shocker!) how I wanted my days to typically go. Once I had that, I moved to a Google Sheet (pre-built and customized) so that it could be edited with ease for my weekly changes and to have it on my phone. I also semi-use a bullet journal, but even my small journal can be a little clunky to carry around sometimes.
The image above shows what a block schedule should look like, so you can not feel so overwhelmed with the idea of creating one for yourself. This picture is from when I was first starting, but it became more precise as I updated it weekly and more comfortable with the use of it.
I’ll be honest, most days, I’m running 15 minutes behind my self-created schedule, BUT
I have been absolutely more productive in the past month than ever with my writing. Even though I have writing blocks marked in my schedule, being fluid with it is important because most of my writing is done during my part-time job in a retail location (don’t worry, I’m allowed). People come in and out, or take the time to talk to me about things, and sometimes I talk too much. So, fluidity is needed. What I love about having the blocks of time already planned is that keeps me on task when I get pulled away from what I’ve scheduled. I can either hop back into what I was doing or pop over to the next thing on the list without wondering what I should do next.
Let me just jump in here and say that you SHOULDN’T allow yourself to get caught up in exact timings. There is a strong possibility for you to pull your hair out if you get upset over not following the timings on a block schedule exactly. Hair pulling is not allowed!
This is just my experience with the block schedule. If you’re finding that you are not as productive as you’d like to be, I suggest giving this method a try to organize your time. If it doesn’t work for you, then try something else! This is a great blog post: 9 Proven Time Management Techniques and Tools. Everyone’s brain organizes things differently, so find the method that best works for you and then STICK TO IT.
This is my encouragement to you. Time manage the heck out of your life. Do it for yourself, do it for your publishing dreams, and do it for your sanity. I want to see you on the USA Today and NYT Times Bestsellers List. #BeastModeActivated
Until next time, Fictionados!