Making the Most of Your Time
In his classic book on teaching, THE ART OF TEACHING, writer and teacher Jay Parini makes the following statement: "Most good work gets done in short stretches." While I do not agree with everything Parini says, this comment is one we can take to heart as writers.
As a writer who wanted to teach and a teacher who wanted to write, Parini, for a while, had trouble reconciling the two. Over time, however, he realized that one of the reasons for his seeming conflict lay in the fact that he thought he needed large blocks of time to write. But he discovered that the many short intervals of five to twenty minutes that occurred throughout the day were a hidden treasure.
Most people think that a ten-minute stretch is not enough time to get anything done, so they usually waste it. But for a writer, that ten-minute stretch, repeated several times a day for a year, can result in a book. And, repeated over the course of several years, can result in several books.
Decide today to make a paradigm shift regarding the way you look at time. I did so many years ago when my children were small and I had no extended blocks of time. So I wrote while the traffic light was red or while I waited in the bank drive-through line. Over the years, those little snippets of time results in hundreds of published articles, stories, and poems.
It has been said that one's perception is one's reality. Learn to perceive those little blocks of time as gold mines of creativity. Then see how prolific you become.
And that's my "musing that matters" for today. What's yours?
Blessings,
MaryAnn
Comments
MaryAnn:
This is sensastional advice, and I am so grateful for your wonderful insight. I am going to use this as my new mantra.
I've been writing in short increments for years and have probably 20 or more children's books, 2 novels and several devotions written. Some have been published, some have not.
For me, it's the only way to go.
Sure, I'll take advantage of longer writing periods when they come, but those half hour time slots are precious.
Thanks, MaryAnn, for this reminder. I'm amazed how many articles have come about on my 30-minute lunch break -- much more than the 1-1 1/2 hours of writing in the evening.
Thanks MaryAnn for the reminder. I have also discovered that during these child raising years my short ten minute writing periods are even more effective than the longer periods of time. God seems to enjoy blessing our crumbs when offered in His Name.
Wonderful suggestion. May I add: if you can't always be at your computer, have a notebook and pen or pencil (or crayon or eyebrow pencil!) handy. You can even take small notes with a lot of modern cell phones. Writing by hand may take longer, but it can always be transcribed later, and you can write when there's a storm, when it isn't a good idea to have a computer running. (Speaking of which, I hear thunder... better go!)
Thanks again for another wonderful Musing!
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This was so relevant for me today. I have been doing this "10minute" writing for so long that now when I have more time(I am retired) I still find I write better my first 30 minutes and then take a break. Thanks so muvh for your sharing. I do appreciate it. Clella ( a wordchick)