It’s the start of a new year. Work is piling up and it’s time to hit the ground running. As a student, I would know. *facedesks*

So what do you do when life gets too busy? How do you fit in writing as a person with an already too-full schedule? Let’s cover that in this post.

Look at your priorities.

Okay, I’m going to be a little bit harsh here and ask, is writing really a priority for you? Is it a priority like school, or like a part-time job? Is it something absolutely necessary for you to consistently do?

If you answered yes, you should be pretty good. If writing truly is a priority, you will be able to find a way to make time in your week to sit down and get down a couple of words or so. See if you can drop something from your schedule, or postpone a couple of events. Or plan ahead and try to see where you can make time to write.

But if writing isn’t that much of a priority, maybe reconsider it altogether. If it’s more like a hobby rather than something you want to do for the rest of your life, then you’re fine where you are. Don’t worry about it.

However, again, if it’s something you are truly serious about, we can move on to the next point:

Get a grip on your schedule.

You are in control of most, if not all, of your schedule. See if you can shuffle some things around, or drop something. Is it possible to take 10-15 minutes off to open up that document and write?

If your schedule truly is packed to the limit, see if you can stay up a little later. Get up a little more early. Write during lunch break, coffee break, whenever. Sit in the car or in the bus or in the train thinking about what you plan to do next in the story. Even if you might not get to write everyday, at least you’ve planned in your head a little bit.

Don’t push yourself.

And finally, don’t push yourself. I know what it’s like to be genuinely busy. It’s absolutely fine to not write every day. Maybe that sounds a little crazy, but don’t push yourself too hard. Don’t make yourself crash and burn, because once you get into burnout, it’s not easy to get out.

Make as much time as you can, time that’s humanly possible for you. If that’s twice a week, so be it. If that’s half an hour a day, go for it. I’m not the most consistent person in the world myself either. 🙂

So that’s it!

I hope that was somewhat encouraging to kick off a new year. What are some of your plans or goals for 2019? Do you plan to fit in writing in your schedule? If so, how?

Let me know in the comments below!