time management

Sleep Your Way

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One of the areas that we seem to neglect the most is having a good night sleep.  One of the biggest culprits –  chores, TV, PC, and all our favorite shows and movies.  It is truly hard to dedicate the proper amount of hours to sleeping.  However, I have found that when I go to bed earlier, I am more productive the next day and my mind seems more clear.  For me, eight hours seems to be the perfect amount, others need more, others less. 

Sleeping well makes me less grouchy and it actually helps my writing.  I can write more in less amount of time, and it also helps my inspiration – ideas flow more fluently.  I recommend sleeping as a tool for better writing – it does sound funny, but true, at least in my case.

When I feel less tired and more refreshed/awake the tone set for the day is totally different and I can carry out many things that have been put aside for lack of energy or “time.”  Somehow, suddenly there is time for more …

Give it a try, and see if it helps your writing and your day, overall.

Don’t Avoid People

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Many writers and artists endure long hours of solitude working in their craft.  Social contact is limited for many.  Making a living writing requires long hours at the computer, whether you are a best-selling author or a novice freelance writer.  

Some has introvert personalities, and that suits them well; others, love any time that they can get socializing among people.  For writers especially, people provide a source of inspiration and interesting material to include in their work.  Many times, it presents opportunities that will open other exciting doors in their career.  Inspiration can come in many ways, people come in many sizes, personalities, race, nationality, and cultures – a huge amount of inspiration.

Small Steps – Every Day

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I used to get frantic trying to do everything at once.  Worried to the point of becoming stressed, even about the things I could not control.  It took me a while to realize that there is “time for everything under the sun.”  I had read that many times, but never grasped the deep significance the phrase had. 

We go nuts multitasking and running around trying to get everything done.  In the end, we feel burned out and unhappy, the colors of life lose their brightness, and there is no music to our day – just the hurried stomps of our feet as we run like robots without a cause.

It took me a while to realize that small steps everyday accomplish a lot.  Sometimes, even the best antidote against procrastination.  Small steps everyday take you closer to your dreams and goals, and let you feel and see some progress.  Today, I don’t run with the pack, I take small steps, but surely, and everyday – I am happier that way.

Just Be

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What would happen if we allowed ourselves to just be?  To do as we genuinely felt and not as we tought we would look better in front of others?  What would happen if we acted by true care as opposed to having to care?  I think we would be happier, and only give the best of us to others by just being. 

Being genuine to yourself entails being true to others as well as your own self.  It is applying the golden rule.  Many times, we covet the ideal lives of others – the successes that we view as perfect lives – without realizing that the only way that we can meet a fullness of life is if we just be. 

When we embrace ourselves, our creativity, our spirituality, and our physical state of being, along with our lives, we are in the path of becoming what we are to become – of being as real as we can be – of fulfilling our purpose as human and spiritual beings.

When we write, many times we worry about rules, about sounding like our favorite best-selling author, or about setting writing goals according to somebody else’s standards.  However, we forget one important thing, that life, goals, writings, and anything else that goes with it, will not mean anything if they are not centered and meant for the true self and its true purpose. 

 Just be and the rest will follow is a good way of approaching life, but in our way to letting the true self shine, we can strive to better each day by asking ourselves – Am I letting myself be?

Show Up to Life

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Instant Recall

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Many times we think that life is hard enough, specially when things are not going our way.  In an “instant society,” we expect fast results and want things to take shape right away.  In writing, it is the opposite, patience is a virtue, and the slow mode of speed seems to have two lower sub-modes.  Many talented writers give up early, when they don’t see fast results proportional to the hard work they put in.  It is discouraging; however, when you love what you do, you never know what hanging around just a little longer will bring.

Life is like that too, no matter what you happen to do, or be, if you want to beat the “instant expectations” and hang in there, just show up.  Show up to life – show up to write every day, show up to be a parent, to be a doctor, a teacher, you … just show up to life and things will start taking shape.

Doing Things Lovingly

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Life has its ups and downs.  Many times we run through life at fast speeds in our effort to get things done.  After all, it is a society of doers, of achievers, and doing the opposite would attract some frowns and judging, right?  Doing is good, but sometimes, our doing becomes robotic, lifeless, dutiful, and boring.  We don’t enjoy the things we once did because they have turned into stale routine.  We go through life as “zombie doers” without realizing that the magic has left our hands, and our hearts wish for excitement in our endeavors.  However, maybe the magic is still there, and what happens is that we have stopped doing things lovingly.

Doing things with love and passion is in every one of us.  It is up to us to enjoy each moment and dedicate attention to the task at hand – no matter how menial it seems to be.  Washing dishes by hand can be transforming when you start feeling the soapy water, the fruity floral scent of the dishwashing liquid, and hear the squeaky sound of a clean dish.  Somehow, this menial task becomes alive, engaging all your senses.

This is what doing things lovingly means – to enjoy the task at the moment, or to pay full attention to it, to be mindful for the duration of it, and to be thankful that you can do.

Slow Down

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Self made rainbow, made in home garden.

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Many times I find myself rushing thru the day, even when there is plenty of time.  I have found myself writing a mile a minute when I could simply slow down the keyboard speed and let my thoughts flow.  Why is this?  I used to be a “take my time, smell the roses” person.  Somehow, I ended up in a frantic speed that certainly does not make sense.  When I look at people around me as I run errands, I see myself, rushing, running – when there is plenty of time.  The other day, I slowed down a bit, I realized that I had missed a lot of colorful roses along the way, because I went by too fast to notice them.  One thing is for sure, as I slowed down, spirit started talking, inspiration began to flow, and life’s colors started to paint a beautiful picture. 

Slowing down might be one of the best things we do to tap into our inspiring source.  It makes you stop and look at things in a different speed, the eye shutter lets light in and suddenly colors appear fresh.  Today, I invite all you to slow down a bit, and take in the air, the picture, the beauty of life around you.   No matter what your circumstances might be, when you slow down, you are forced to see, to listen, to taste, to smell, and to use whatever senses you have.

Writer’s Wisdom 100

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Are your challenges for writing excuses?

Here it is the 100 post of the Writer’s Wisdom series.  It has been my joy to write them and I hope that you have enjoyed them too.  I chose this topic for this post because we make hundreds of excuses about our writing.  Sometimes, we disguise them and call them challenges.  We all have real challenges, however when we use excuses as challenges, we hurt ourselves and our work.  This applies to writing, but also, to everything in our lives.

Are we using our dated computer as an excuse?  Our lack of control over the assignments we take?  The book that won’t write itself because the Muse seems to be on strike?  Or maybe it is the neighbor that plays loud music and does not let you focus? – (earplugs do exist).

Whatever our challenges are, we should look at them as opportunities to grow in our craft and not as excuses.  Whatever our excuses are, we should not dress them in “challenge attire,” but face them instead.

Everyone has challenges, every one of us makes excuses at one point in our lives; it is what we do with them that will hinder or promote our growth.

Happy Writing!

Writer’s Wisdom 97

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Using work to procrastinate – Procrastination can keep you busy.

Yesterday, I wrote about being scared of success and the many ways in which we avoid change in our lives, even at the cost of our own success.  Today I want to add to the topic.  Procrastination is a way in which we can avoid change or sabotage our success.  While many may think that procrastination is more related to lack of doing or putting things off, this is only a part of it.  You can use work to procrastinate and procrastination can keep you busy.

It may seem a contradiction, but it is just different sides of the same coin.  You can use tons of chores, projects, activities, and keep yourself busy in other assignments to avoid change.  All of this is a form of procrastination, as the busier you keep yourself with other projects, you will not have to face the one that may change your present situation.

Procrastination in the shape of work is a soft and hidden form of self-sabotage and one that we should be aware of as it can trick us into believing that we are working hard towards our success when the opposite is true – we are working hard to avoid change/success.

Writer’s Wisdom 80

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Live and Write

If you are busy freelance writing, you may find that it takes most of your day, and sometimes, a few hours at night.  It may also take some of your weekends.  Assignments come and go, and the competition is fierce – you are lucky if you can grab it.  However, how much is too much?  You know you have to eat, right?  But at what cost?  Be thankful for the assignments you get, but also live your life.  Make time for your spirit, yourself, your family, your pets, and your friends.   If you don’t, you will find yourself in a less than perfect mood for writing.

Create a balance, and write.  Live and write.