When it comes to excuses for not writing, ‘not having enough time’ is definitely near the top. Sometimes we have plenty of time, it’s just a matter of getting motivated. But time doesn’t need to be your enemy. There are ways to use time to your advantage, even if you feel as though the clock is against you.
Race against the clock
Use a stopwatch to time how long you can write for without being distracted or quitting. The next time you write, try and beat your score by writing for even longer.
Image Credit: Diane Hammond via Flickr Creative Commons.
Timing yourself will help you to see how much effort you’re committing to your work, and by beating your time you will inevitably extend your productivity.
10 minutes a day
If you’re time poor or just not motivated, commit to writing creatively for just 10 minutes a day. Turn off your Wi-Fi, shut the door, leave your phone in another room; limit all your distractions and spend just 10 minutes writing (without editing) as much as you can.
You’ll find that once you start your 10 minutes goes by pretty quickly, and you might even want to up your time limit.
Work to a deadline
Got a project that you want to finish but just can’t? Set small deadlines, for a few days or even a week, to force yourself to write and get closer to your goals.
Stress can be a good motivator and looming dates are sometimes just what we need to get our butts into gear and do something with a purpose.