How to Stop Saying “I have no time to write!”
A reminder for those who committed.
Last August, I started publishing on Medium.
Back then, I was in between jobs, so I was learning to leverage whatever resources were available, including Medium.
I fell in love with the process.
Finding my own voice, discovering the topics I wanted to write about, and connecting to like-minded people was an exhilarating experience at the time.
I had a consistent writing schedule, plenty of internal motivation to keep me going, and some minor successes. Surely, my writing in Medium will bear fruit.
And it did! It worked all too well.
But now … I have another problem.
I’m a content writer and editor, and write every day for a living. Plus, I work practically the entire day and more. The first few weeks, it was all I could do to get out of my seat to work out.
And then even if I do get the free time, I would have no energy to write another word.
It sucks.
Even more so I realize that these are, ultimately, excuses to prevent myself from doing something difficult, even if I know that it will benefit me in the long run.
But I’m planning to change that in the next year. Here’s my action plan:
Optimize my daily writing habits.
If I don’t start my day by writing on Medium, I won’t ever get to it.
That’s because work deliverables are hard deadlines, with specific consequences if I can’t comply. But not writing in Medium doesn’t carry any immediate punishments. It’s a lesson I’m starting to learn.
On the other hand, starting the day by writing for myself guarantees that I cultivate my habit while forcing myself to finish work deadlines, anyway.
Hone my focus.
Attention is the currency of output.
If my attention is scattered, my ability to write is diminished. It takes a bigger effort and a longer time to do what I need to do. A difficult lesson to learn for someone who’s always thought of himself as a “multi-tasker.”
Moving forward, I will be learning more about honing my focus to achieve high levels of mastery.
Spend break times mindfully.
It’s important to take breaks. But lately, I’ve come to realize that I don’t spend my breaks properly at all.
I spend most of my time scrolling on social media or immersed in a book or movie that I need to finish no matter what. On the other hand, if I don’t take breaks, I get exhausted quicker.
So, I need to find a way to rest and feel refreshed without being too immersed that I don’t want to work.
I’ve got to admit that I’m still figuring this one out. What I’ve gathered from the internet seems to range from making a list of things to do on your break (ironic), to simply staring at a wall. Any advice?
Final Thoughts
For me, “not having time” isn’t a literal lack of time but simply a lack of optimization, focus, and healthy breaks. Improving on these aspects should free up time and energy that I could use to work on better things — which is my Medium presence.
How about you? What are your solutions for when you don’t seem to have time to write?
