In my day to day life I am frequently bombarded with distractions which stop me from writing. One day I scheduled all of my “important” errands in the morning so I could write in the afternoon. My errands took longer than expected. After spending a painful two hours at the dentist office, dropping off unwanted clothes at Goodwill, going to the bank, and shopping for groceries, I felt exhausted. When I finally arrived back home, I couldn’t string one sentence together if my life depended on it. My empty stomach growled, so I warmed a cup of soup and sat down to relax.
That cup of soup was the only good thing about my day. I felt irritated with myself for trying to get everything done at once. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. There’s nothing worse than a grumpy writer. Do you feel angry or depressed when you don’t write?
As I sipped my hot soup, I assessed my situation. What possessed me to try to do so much at once? I thought back to some of my childhood experiences and made some interesting discoveries. My parents taught me to work first, then play. This idea spilled over to my adulthood. Since writing is pleasurable to me, it should come second. And if I have a lot of work to do, I never get to play. One day slips into another and before I know it, I haven’t written anything for a month.
As a student, my teachers conducted class using the same philosophy. I had to finish my assignment before I could go to the reading corner. Those were the rules. As a teacher myself, I expected the same from my students. Every progress report included a box— “Student uses free time wisely.” Most students would receive a grade of satisfactory. But honestly, some students never had any free time. How sad.
Now I am seeing the importance of writing in the morning. I can focus better, and get into a creative flow. Ideas come easy to me when I am rested. If you are a writer, I’m sure you’ve discovered what time works for you. We must protect our time to write. This means scheduling appointments, errands, and chores outside of our best time to create.
As I write this blog, I recognize my strong work ethic. I place a high value on productivity. That’s fine as long as I can triage my efforts. When I plan my day I need to prioritize time to write. Writing needs to be first.
The word vocation comes from the Latin, meaning “calling.” A calling is initiated by God for his purpose. Since I feel called to write, my vocation is writing. If I look at writing as my vocation, the adult voice within me gives permission to write first and not feel guilty about it. I believe I am finding my way out of this maze.
How about you? Do you have a habit of checking off your to-do list before you sit down to write? How do you schedule time to pursue your artistic calling? Leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you.
debbieburton.blog 
Ahhhh, yes — work before play. I learned it as a child and taught it as a mother and teacher. I have no desire to write as a vocation or even avocation, but I do need to be fresh and clear when I do need to write a letter or document of any importance.
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Thanks for your comment Mary! I remember we always taught our reading classes in the morning, because the children were more alert. And all major tests were given in the morning. Best time for thinking.
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Debbie… thanks for sharing your “update.” I can relate to many of the points you made. Like you, l was brought up:”work before play”! I tend to see writing as something l do when l have completed other tasks….which seem to be unending… so then l don’t have the time or energy to write! Working on changing my thinking about writing is something l need to do!
I don’t know that l see it as a “calling” as you do… it is something l enjoy and feel good about after l have written something that is heartfelt and of which l am pleased to have written…
Thanks for sharing your thought provoking reflections….very helpful…
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Thank you for your wisdom Debbie. I have set aside a 30-40 min slot each weekday morning. I think you’re right, I need to relax and not put myself under pressure to produce anything specific. Will try journaling and see if it helps get me unstuck. Blessings!
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Hi Debbie,
I can really relate to this post! I currently work pretty much full time, and so it’s tough finding time to write. When I’m not working, I feel I should prioritise house-chores over writing, not to mention walking the dog and spending time with family & friends.
I often find that long periods of time elapse and I don’t get any writing done. Lately I’ve been trying to get up extra early, but because I’m so out of the flow, and I’m clock watching, often I just feel blank!
I too get depressed and low about this. I honestly don’t know what the answer is. I keep asking God if I’m really called to write – or if I’ve just imagined it. Sometimes when I get really low I come back to the reality that I need to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and not be striving or in a hurry. I also pray that I will one day come into a season where I can cut down my work schedule and have more time to write. However, I suspect this still wouldn’t solve the issue completely! It’s a continual tension!
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Angela, Have you determined when your best time to write is? Once you decide when you will sit down, start journaling during that time. Even it’s just for thirty minutes. Don’t put big expectations on yourself. Stay relaxed and have a little fun. Taking a walk also helps me come up with ideas. Thank you for reaching out to me. I’ve been reading the book the “Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. Great resource!
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Yes and yes. Duties, errands, have to do is first. Check it off the list. It makes me feel accomplished. Down time later. As with you, that’s the way I was brought up and that’s what I passed on. However, I find the next generation doesn’t always follow in our footsteps. And that’s okay. My way is not the only way…it’s just “my” way. Glad you gave yourself permission to change 😁
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I appreciate your comments, Sue. I’m excited to follow my heart. Change is good. Just hope I can do it.
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