How To Create On The Side Without Losing Your 9-to-5 Shine
Moonlighting Mastery!
I don’t think I will ever be able to give 100% to writing until I quit my full-time job. It is just not feasible.
I am married with two toddlers and work in one of the most demanding fields of social work — addiction recovery.
I hardly have any downtime (time when I can do nothing).
When I am not at work, I care for the kids at home.
If I decide to write when my family is sleeping, it means I will lose sleep and hinder my clear-headedness and productivity.
Don’t suggest coffee; it gives me anxiety.
I’ve come to accept that I cannot do it all.
So today, I want to share with you some things that allow me to continue creating on the side without going crazy at work.
1. I stopped using To-Do Lists
To-do lists are great for decluttering your mind but can also cause procrastination. You feel productive because you have something on your list, but they can be there for weeks.
Instead of lists, I started time blocking. In my calendar app, I allocate tasks to a certain time of the day I need to do it. This helps me be more accountable as I always know what I should be doing now and what I should do next. I can also see when I have some “free time.”
Time blocking gives a deadline to all my tasks, making me more likely to do them.
If I miss a task, I reschedule. It has made me so much more organized.
2. I started setting reasonable writing goals
Like most of you, I started out on Medium, intending to publish a story daily; that didn’t work.
When combining your creative outlet with a 9-to-5, setting goals you know you can achieve long-term is important.
Combine in a way you won’t burn out.
So, I recently changed my strategy to write most days and publish an article per week.
I give myself more time to develop good content during the week and get it to readers' eyes on weekends.
3. I don’t use my lunch breaks and downtime to write
Writing is a creative process and a lack of rest shows in the quality of one's writing.
We need time to stew our writing, coming back to it with fresh eyes and renewed ideas.
I rest when it is time to rest to create better.
Time blocking helps me to block out and differentiate times that are meant for writing from times that are meant for resting.
4. I don’t request time away from my employer to pursue my side thing
Don’t do it, please.
Don’t tell your boss you’re requesting time off to pursue your personal thing. It makes you look distracted and uncommitted.
If you want to be seen as hardworking and dedicated, leaving that conversation out of your workplace is best.
Don’t tell colleagues (no, they’re not your family), don’t tell clients/customers and don’t tell your boss.
This is how to maintain your shine at work.
Get into a sustainable routine that accommodates both work and creativity.
My journey so far has not been smooth sailing, but getting into a routine has helped me the most. Balance means creating a life schedule that allows you to work and create without engaging in extreme measures like going without sleep often or taking time off from one to perform the other.
