Why is it so difficult to make writing a priority?

• Ever notice when you finally decide to sit down and write that your house seems dirtier?
• Does your bathroom grime mock you?
• The dishes in the sink pile up?
• The dust bunnies in the corners have grown to dust dinosaurs?
• Or EVERYONE NEEDS YOU RIGHT NOW.
• The phone keeps chirping.
• The dryer buzzes.

If you are an author or an aspiring writer, you know writing should be a priority, and yet it is often last on your list. So how do we writers make writing a priority?

Writing should rank high on your priority list -right after keeping yourself and your humans (and pets) healthy and alive.

One of the excuses I’ve given my husband is – Well, you get in a car and go to work. I don’t. I just walk into my office. Shabby excuse.

1. Block out time on your calendar for writing.

Block out time on your calendar for writing. Put writing first on your schedule. This is extremely important. Treat writing as an appointment with yourself that you can’t miss. Many times writers, myself included, go with the wait and see approach. We wait and see if we will have any time left over after we do all the things. And all the things are always there so there is usually no time leftover for writing.

With that said, I know everyone is at a different age and stage in their lives. If you have small children at home, or you homeschool, work full or part-time, there will be times you cannot write. May I be honest? It’s time for us to get the idyllic picture of the author lounging around a picture-perfect cottage sipping tea and plunking away at a typewriter when the mood or muse strikes. Being an author is more like waking up at 4:30 am to write before the kids wake up. Or staying up after the kids go to bed. Or skipping the Hallmark Christmas movie binge to write.

Brit Poe of Thriving Scribes says:

“That said it is extremely important to understand how often you do have to write how much time is available to you. So even if it’s not every single day, how many days a week can you dedicate to writing? How many sessions of writing can you dedicate on your writing days? And for how long? If you don’t know what this is for you, then what I recommend doing is to actually just follow yourself around for a day or for a week, and really look at when you are writing and when you are able to fit that in so that you can have a really clear vision of what time is available to you.”

I love her advice. Follow yourself around for a week. Pay attention to the time you spend scrolling on social media, reading posts about writing, studying the craft of writing. Those aren’t bad things, but if you are a writer, you need to write.

“Balance is Overrated
Because if Everything is Important Nothing Is”- Ruth Soukup, Do it Scared

I used to believe the myth that my life had to be perfectly balanced. My daily striving became one of balancing everything every day -having a clean house, making organic whole-food meals, doing something fun, exercising, organizing a closet, posting on social media, and writing. Problem was, writing often came last after I had used all my energy on other things.

“That little voice telling us that whatever we have done, it’s probably not enough.

But what if that voice is lying to us?

What if this idea of balance that we’ve convinced ourselves is not only possible but desirable actually isn’t? What if it’s just a myth? A fairy tale? A trap designed to hold us back from whole-heartedly pursuing our goals and dreams?

What if balance is somehow overrated?”

 Ruth Soukup, Do it Scared

2. Something’s got to give.

When I was in college, finals week was approaching and so was my wedding. I was at my sister’s house for a Tupperware party, I think. I was so stressed at leaving my studies and wedding prep that I couldn’t focus. I didn’t enjoy the party or the company. I kind of curled up in a ball on the floor and hoped no one would notice me. My step-father Bud, slid his 6 ‘3” frame down the wall next to me and said, “Kathleen, something’s got to give. Don’t let it be you.”

Now I’m passing that advice on to you. Something’s got to give if you want to write. You can’t slide it onto your already full plate. You must take something off your plate.

I’m sure many people give up on their author careers (or other God-sized dreams) before they get a week into them because they believe they can do it all. No one can do it all. We are humans with finite energy. Although I know I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, those are within His will and purpose for me.

The myth of balance means you can’t do everything well at the same time. Somethings got to give. If you are an authorpreneur, sometimes the dust dinosaurs must wait for one more day. The dishes in the sink must sit until after you finish your writing block (or delegate the task to another family member). Sometimes you’ll have to tell your family and friends you need a weekend to write and finish up the manuscript. If you need to get away, ask a friend or family member who has a guest room. I did this one weekend to finish my first book and when I came home, my youngest daughter, a teen at the time, had cleaned the whole house (no guarantees there).

3. Your Why is Your Motivation

Normally writers don’t have a boss telling them what to do every minute of every day.

Marlene Bagnull talks about procrastination in her book, Write His Answer:

“An editor gave me a go-ahead on a book proposal. I told him I would have the manuscript to him in three months. Then I began procrastinating! I decided I could work more efficiently if I reorganized my files… Before I realized it a month had passed without even five minutes spend on the book manuscript. Why? The biggest reason I procrastinate is because I’m afraid of failure.”

 

Do you see yourself in the procrastination/fear of failure scenario? I do. How many times have I reorganized files, and reread books/articles I’ve already written instead of writing something new? My inner monologue goes something like this:

• Why are you writing?
• You aren’t very good at it.
• No one wants to read your stuff.
• You’re a failure.
• You shouldn’t write.
• Did God really call you to be a writer?

 

What’s Your Why?

The truth is, we won’t prioritize our writing unless we know WHY we are writing. We don’t write to be the best writer. We work towards becoming a better writers, certainly. We write because we have something to say. We have a message, burning in our bellies. We want to shout it from the rooftop. It’s so important that we get the message out, and that we prioritize it. Why? Maybe to help others along their journey, maybe to bring attention to a cultural issue, maybe to share our story so that others don’t feel alone in theirs, or maybe to educate, equip, and encourage. I don’t know your why, but if you want to prioritize your writing, it’s important to know what it is. And then put it somewhere you can see it often.

The best way — maybe the only way– to motivate yourself to do hard things, to stretch outside of your comfort zone, and to persevere when the going gets tough is to get crystal clear about your why.

-Ruth Soukup

If you truly want to make writing a priority in your life – start calling yourself a writer. Say, “I am a writer.” Say it every day. Block out time for writing on your calendar for writing. Also, banish the myth of balance from your life.  Something’s got to give. Don’t let it be you. Avoid procrastination. Tell fear of failure to take a hike. If you don’t, you may end up not even trying. Find your why. Write it down. Happy writing!