By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
This post will be short and sweet
because…I’ve gotten a little behind with everything this week. :) And the odd thing is that this is back to
school week, so you’d think I’d be getting tons
of stuff done.
because…I’ve gotten a little behind with everything this week. :) And the odd thing is that this is back to
school week, so you’d think I’d be getting tons
of stuff done.
But no.
And yesterday, I had to sit down and assess where I was going wrong. Why
was I scrambling to finish up writing-related tasks like promo? Why was supper a last-minute effort? Why did
I keep forgetting milk at the store?
What on earth was different?
And yesterday, I had to sit down and assess where I was going wrong. Why
was I scrambling to finish up writing-related tasks like promo? Why was supper a last-minute effort? Why did
I keep forgetting milk at the store?
What on earth was different?
Well, what was different was that the
kids were back in school. But it’s not
quite the same as last year.
kids were back in school. But it’s not
quite the same as last year.
Last year…all the years, actually…I’ve
driven my son’s carpool to school and back.
I sat in the carpool line and typed half of my word goal each day in
that line. And now—my son is driving
himself to school.
driven my son’s carpool to school and back.
I sat in the carpool line and typed half of my word goal each day in
that line. And now—my son is driving
himself to school.
I’m still driving my daughter’s carpool,
but not every afternoon. That school
lets out later than my son’s school, too.
but not every afternoon. That school
lets out later than my son’s school, too.
So my schedule changed and that
messed me up.
messed me up.
Another place where I went wrong—in the
afternoons, I felt so lost by not heading off to the high school to sit in the
carpool line that each day this week I asked myself, “What should I be doing
right now?”
afternoons, I felt so lost by not heading off to the high school to sit in the
carpool line that each day this week I asked myself, “What should I be doing
right now?”
And the answer each time was: “I have no
idea. Maybe I should check my email.”
idea. Maybe I should check my email.”
Wrong!
Checking email is never the right
answer to that question. :) Email is a tremendous time-suck for me.
Checking email is never the right
answer to that question. :) Email is a tremendous time-suck for me.
What I did instead yesterday was to make
a list of what I needed to do. I’d made
a list in the morning, but I’d checked those things off. What I need now, apparently, is a separate
afternoon list. So I wrote it up. The most pressing things were to proofread a
teaser chapter that I was on deadline for, find and schedule links for Twitter,
and then pull that laundry out of the dryer before the stuff started wrinkling
(there’s not a lot of ironing going on in my house). Checking email was not on this list.
a list of what I needed to do. I’d made
a list in the morning, but I’d checked those things off. What I need now, apparently, is a separate
afternoon list. So I wrote it up. The most pressing things were to proofread a
teaser chapter that I was on deadline for, find and schedule links for Twitter,
and then pull that laundry out of the dryer before the stuff started wrinkling
(there’s not a lot of ironing going on in my house). Checking email was not on this list.
So, for me anyway, even small
fluctuations in a schedule have an impact. If I lose productivity, then I need
to figure out where I’m going wrong.
fluctuations in a schedule have an impact. If I lose productivity, then I need
to figure out where I’m going wrong.
And lists…one list may not be enough to
carry me through a whole day. Because
when I finish the stuff on my morning list—heck, I might just pull up my emails
and lose an hour or more.
carry me through a whole day. Because
when I finish the stuff on my morning list—heck, I might just pull up my emails
and lose an hour or more.
Do you ever have to reassess when to fit
your writing in? And do you rely on
lists as much as I do?
your writing in? And do you rely on
lists as much as I do?
“Do you ever have to reassess when to fit your writing in?”
Yes! I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
Often it’s a battle to fit in enough time to write (or edit, depending where I’m at).
I love lists and setting goals, that definitely helps. And you’re right, email sucks up a massive amount of time because it gives me the illusion of productivity.
Excellent blog! :-)
I think lists are very helpful and make them as well, especially when there’s a lot to do. But I do my writing starting early in the morning before anyone else is awake. It gives me a head start on the day.
Elizabeth – Oh, I know what you mean about the effect of schedule changes. The exact same thing happens to me! Good for you to see what was happening and re-assess it all. What I do when that happens is, I stop just like you did and figure out how I’m going to need to change my writing time. And there’s always a little lag until I get settled into my new routine. But that’s part of writing too I think: adjusting to those changes.
I couldn’t survive without my lists. I have a master list, then I make a mini-list for each day. Glad you figured out the problem so quickly, Elizabeth.
Hi Elizabeth .. sounds like you just needed to get the ‘to dos’ into your brain now the schedule has changed ..
Sincerely hope it all comes together – I’m sure it will …
Great post though and lists are essential .. cheers Hilary
Sometimes I make a list. And sometimes I actually remember to refer to it!
I can see where the disruption in routine would mess you up. I practice my guitar every evening for over an hour and it’s just a habit. Feels weird not to do it, but sometimes we go out and I don’t get to play that night.
I have a tendency to get trapped in the email vortex as well.
I also plot point my day with check lists. I also sometimes refer to them.
My email has such a tantalizing chime when a message lands in my inbox. On really desperate days I have to turn off my internet.
Karen –Well put! Yes, the illusion of productivity. And I *am* doing things with the email…but…sometimes when I’m emailing, I should be doing many other, more-important things. I’m so much more productive when I set aside a particular time to email.
Jacqueline–For sure. I do half my writing at 4:30 a.m., but I always did the second half at 1:30 p.m….clearly not now, though! Need to revamp.
Hilary–I think you’re right. A brain dump is in order!
Alex–Exactly. For me, that might even carry on into the next day and I could be off then, too.
Boy do I hear you on this one! After leaving my job, I find myself often spinning my wheels.
I finally started sitting down just before bed every night, and writing out how my day should start. Include everything — brush teeth, eat Cheerios — up through the “getting organized” tasks before writing and the first writing tasks.
Because ANYTHING could throw me off the routine. And did — I seldom did what I expected to do for a long time. So the next night I’d adjust my expectations to meet some forgotten item, until finally, after a while of reviewing my new schedule every morning, I started getting the new routine into my system.
I have lists for my lists and this week has been a scramble for me, too. I don’t check blogs if I have pressing things to accomplish.
I LOVE this! I’m a total List Dependent because I have a brain that got fried by babies and medicines, so they are my memory on paper.
Plus, when I worked full time, I always wrote up my to-do list in the morning, then re-evaluated the list after lunch (my list was NEVER finished in a day *cough* *ahem*), so I completely know what you mean!
This process works. And you’ve just reminded me that I need to get back to it….
Margot–I’m going to try to be patient with myself as I readjust (but it’s hard!) And now we have a holiday weekend, so it’s going to take me a while to get back on track, I’m sure.
Karen–A master list and mini lists, too? Love that.
Diane–That’s smart. I haven’t kept away from the internet and I need to.
Aimee–Babies definitely fry brains! So do teenagers. :)
Re-evaluating the list makes so much sense. Sometimes priorities shift during the day, too.
Adrienne–A vortex! Exactly. I should turn off my internet too. And put my phone far, far away from me.
The Daring Novelist–I’m glad I’m not the only one!
I like those kinds of brain dump lists, too. I put everything on there from the dog’s heartworm pills to the stuff I need at the store to the writing-related things I need to accomplish.
Actually, the brain dump list is a separate list. That list includes things I’ll do later. This is not a “don’t forget” list: This is actually writing down my _routine_, which is different.
When you lose your routine, you lose those automatic unconscious decisions that keep you on course. But you can re-establish the routine by thinking through what you are going to do ahead of time.
So this is more about listing the order in which I will do the things I _won’t_ forget to do. Making the trivial decisions (cereal or toast?) the night before. You don’t have to worry about remembering to change out of your jammies (I hope) but that’s on the list as to WHEN you change, and brush your teeth, and feed the cat, etc, because you’re trying to create a routine.
You don’t even put those “to do” items on this list, other than that the end of your morning routine will be “To Do List.”
You’re so funny! My kids start school on Tuesday, and of course I’m imagining all the things I’ll get done while they’re gone. But if I’m not careful, that time disappears.
How crazy that your son is driving himself to high school! Mine gets his license in October, so he’s counting the days!
Number one: What’s ironing? LOL
Number two: I definitely answer both your last questions with resounding yeses.
I’m so impressed with how much you get done every day/week/month/year. You’re an inspiration. Today’s post is a great example – even with all your to-dos, you still got that blog post up. I’m not in enough of a swing yet with that; I’m finding my FB page and Twitter easier to manage more often. I think part of my own problem is that I’m not “personal” enough, but keep things more at arm’s length, which makes my blog posts, when I do them, a bit formal – and yet still not very helpful per se. Haven’t found my own groove yet. Anyway, great post from you, as usual – thanks!
Julie–I am SO GLAD not to be driving boy carpool anymore! It’s such a happy feeling! I guess I should be sad he’s growing older, worried about his driving…but gosh, no, I’m so, so happy I’m not driving that carpool! Ha!
Camille–Ok, I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one with something similar. I’ve got an old index card downstairs that has made me the laughingstock of many of my friends and family (grr!) I keep it binder-clipped on the outside of a standing file in the kitchen. It says: come downstairs, put water bottles for kids’ lunches in freezer, take dog out to potty, pour dog’s food, give dog arthritis meds, pour coffee, turn on oven for biscuits, write 1.5 pages, check that blog post published, put biscuits in oven, wake up children. :) I think my family believes I’m in early-stages Alzheimer’s, but it’s just that I need to get that routine firm or else…apparently all hell breaks lose. Because I’ll drop the ball on *something*.
Meredith–Ha! We own between the 4 of us only 2 shirts that I will consider ironing. Neither are mine! One is my husband’s, the other my son’s. I’m determined that the next time they need clothes, I will buy them for them…with an eye to the ironing. And that these two shirts might soon have some sort of mysterious accident involving ink.
I think blogging is like writing books…it takes a while to develop voice. I think brainstorming a lot of post ideas helps, having “emergency posts” helps. Having a blog editorial calendar helps. I’ve done all of these things…but not in the past 12 months! I need to get back on track again.
I’m constantly reviewing and adjusting my schedule because of work, kids and my hubbie.
Looking forward to being a full-time writer one day. That’s one thing I’d be happy to schedule. :-)
Elke–I’m sure you will be!
The nice thing about the income (although, frankly, what I’m making would only be enough for one fairly miserly person to live on), is that it snowballs (especially, I think, if you write series). So you know you’re not stuck at the same income level forever because you continue writing books and the books feed off each other.
hi Elizabeth,
Fortunately or unfortunately, I’m addicted to To-Do lists. And though I was sticking to a schedule with my last mystery — which included time to meditate, play the piano and of course, write my next book– I haven’t been on that schedule for months. Have been just writing when I made time (which was most days, but…) really need that schedule! Sandy Gardner sgardner2@hvc.rr.com