Five Times to Write When You've Got No Time

When I started my new job, I knew that my writing time was going to be significantly reduced. The first week I was scrambling to fit twenty minutes or so into each day. Yeah, it was like that. Fortunately, as time has passed, I've begun to carve an hour here and there on the regular, and my wife has been exceedingly gracious with me during the evenings at home.  Nonetheless, I still hunt for minutes here and there to polish a blog post or jot down notes, and below I've provided 5 really great times I've found to fit in a few worthwhile words.



Early Morning - I can barely do this, but I have at times, and it has worked. An extra 30 minutes in the morning before you do anything else can give you an early "win" for the day and set you on course with a mindset of triumph for the inevitable trials and hurdles you'll need to overcome by dusk.

After Breakfast - But sometimes A bowl of Cheerios and a cup of coffee will go a long way to getting those first words on paper. You may find that it's easier to do some work once you get the fuel to jumpstart your brain.

Of course, if you're truly dedicated you could also do both--maybe even work while you eat, but I am not that coordinated.

Lunch Hour - This became my bread and butter. I get a full 60 minutes, and I've begun to use it--an hour is a great deal of time, and a writer who plans how he/she will spend it can truly accomplish a great deal in a week's worth of lunches.

Before Dinner - I don't know how your home life works, so perhaps this cannot apply. I've had the good fortune of living with persons who cook, and at times the meals take a few minutes to prepare. If I can fit ten to twenty minutes before dinner, I can get a few things done.

Late Evening - I am what you would call a "night owl", or at least I was. These days Monday through Wednesday I am pretty spent by about 11, but Thursday and Friday I can make it to 1 AM if I so choose. But even that 10:30-10:50 window most nights allows for some last minute notes or polishing. When I have the energy, I get a lot of good writing done during this time, but I realize I am also sacrificing sleep to do it--so sometimes I take only the half hour to knock out some stuff and call it a day. 

How bout you, when do you grab 15-20 minutes throughout the day to do what you love?