Finding Balance

I believe life…or rather, living the life you really want to live…is all about finding a good balance. It’s about finding time for exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep, working enough to feel fulfilled, helping others…finding the perfect blend of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies to feel healthy and whole.

But often it’s really tough when there are only 24 hours in a day (and at least seven for me have to be spent sleeping for me to function!) When you’re juggling a full-time job AND your career as an author AND your personal life as a wife, mother, grandmother, etc. —well, life can feel unbalanced sometimes. When we need to do keep up with marketing our books on top of it all, how are we possibly supposed to find time to WRITE, must less to be reasonably happy?

Besides balance, life is also about the choices we make. In my last column I gave you five practical tips on managing your time as a writer (if you missed it, you can go back to blog post #1). Here are five more:

Set Priorities

As I said above, there is only so much time in a day. Don’t waste any of it. Set priorities within your schedule…not everything is a “hair on fire” priority and if you treat everything as if it is, you’ll never get anything of any real importance done. If writing several pages is your priority for the day, then shut everything else out. If playing with your kids is the priority, writing will have to wait. But don’t try to do both at the same time because you won’t be able to do either effectively.

Limit Distractions Including “Digital” Time

It’s easy to go down a “rabbit hole” when you engage in social media or answer emails, etc. Answer emails only three times a day. Schedule social media, emailing, website updates, etc. all at once if possible by using a multi-post platform (Hootsuite, WordPress, etc.) or, like your writing time, block out a half-hour to an hour a day to concentrate on your marketing efforts.

You can’t possibly be good at everything – and have time for everything even if you are. If you need to spend more time writing but know you need to edit, proof, publish and market your book and realize you can’t possibly do it all, get help! You may have to pay for it, but it sure beats the alternative of staying stuck.

Realize Multi-Tasking Is a Myth

People (especially women) used to pride themselves on multi-tasking. But scientists are coming to find (and prove) that when you focus on more than one task at a time, you tend to do less and do less well. Mindfulness – focusing on one task and doing it well – is much more effective.

Take Time for You

It’s easy to feel anxious, worried and overwhelmed when you’re trying to balance everything when life gets hectic. Don’t lose your joy and peace. The day before this column was due, I had scheduled going to my “happy place” (the beach). I hadn’t been all summer, which made Michele a very sad girl. (All work no play…). Of course I knew I had to meet my deadline…so I scheduled time for writing this blog in before and after my beach day! You don’t want to end up having resentments and regrets about not having enough time for what’s important. Author Anna Quindlen said, “I don’t like writing but I love having written.” Schedule writing time, and schedule time for what makes you happy. Have no regrets!

BIO

Michele Chynoweth is the award-winning author of The Faithful One, The Peace Maker and The Runaway Prophet, contemporary suspense/romance novels based on Old Testament stories in the Bible that get across God’s messages to today’s readers through edgy, fast-paced fiction. Michele is also an inspirational speaker, college instructor on book writing, publishing and marketing, and book coach/editor who helps writers become successful authors. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, she and her husband have a blended family of five children.

Website: michelechynoweth.com
Blog: michelechynoweth1.wordpress.com
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