We’re nearly a week into November, which basically means all those doing NaNo this year should have just passed 10K in their projects. If they’re on track, that is 😉
With NaNoWriMo comes a superb need to suddenly have time management skills, and with work and school and everything you have in your busy life, it’s hard to juggle everything.
So that’s why I’ve come up with some time management tips I find helpful, not just for writing, but for life things as well.
1. Calendar blocking.
Ohh I can’t tell you how much I love calendar blocking. I don’t always do it, but I did use it during exam season and it was so helpful. This is very similar to time blocking (where you block out the hours in your day and estimate how long it’ll take for you to do a certain task), but while time blocking focuses on one day, I prefer to block out a whole week in one go.
Excerpt from one of my exam weeks. All my exams are in gray, breaks are in blue, and appointments / revision times are in other colors 😉
I recommend using Google Calendar since you can color code things and shift tasks around easily, but you can do this in any way you like. Tip: leave space for when unscheduled events happen or if a task takes too long.
2. Reassess priorities / stop procrastinating.
Sometimes you have to stop and think about your priorities. Maybe you have to stop doing some things for a season of life, or maybe you need to add priorities. It’s possible you just need to list out all your priorities and rank them in order of importance so you can see what’s most important (therefore reducing the amount of panic to feel at the same time!). If you have a lot of tasks, this will help you to know what you need to tackle first.
Also: stop procrastinating. It’s easier said than done, but you can probably find time to do most things if you evaluate your priorities for the day and then tick those tasks off one by one.
3. Go back to paper.
Sometimes a physical schedule is better. If you’re not the type of person who likes schedules, try making a brief to-do list of the most important things you need to get done for the day. It doesn’t have to be anything special. If you have a bullet journal, try using that — anything that works for you.
Only remember not to take too long writing your schedule. It doesn’t need to be pretty — just functional.
4. Snatch up all the free time you have.
If you need to get in your daily word count for NaNoWriMo but don’t have much time in your day, snatch up every minute you have. Lunch. Travel time from home to work/school or vice versa. Whatever floats your boat.
If you’re focused enough, you might be surprised how much you can get down in a short amount of time.
Note for NaNo writers: remember you’re writing a first draft! If you have to write in sprints, so be it. Ignore typos and everything you might be tempted to fix — what matters most is that you get those words onscreen / on the page (sadly sacrificing quality for quantity, but again, you can edit later.)
5. Rest.
This might seem counterintuitive, but the truth is, you need the rest in order to work better (work smart not hard, hey?). Resting will recharge your mental energy and help you to get more things done without having to drag yourself around like a lethargic zombie.
Quick naps work for some people, but if that doesn’t work for you, take a coffee break. Or a tea break. Or whatever kind of break. Take five minutes to sit and stretch and breath and stop worrying about all the things you still have to do. Let yourself rest for a quick moment and then keep going like the bullet train you are. Go run over those tasks like a champ.
That’s all for now!
Tell me, how do you manage your time? Thoughts on digital vs. physical schedules? Let me know in the comments below!
Make your mark,
