Insecure Writer's Group - March

I can't believe it's already March, and time for another post in the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I know I still have many insecurities floating around, but at the moment I feel too swamped with work to actually allow myself to feel those insecurities.

So, what am I going to talk about today? This is a topic that keeps coming up with me - a lot. And that is: Time Management. This can be an insecurity, a panic or just a bother to me in both my writing life, my work life and my personal life (all of which do not have enough hours in the day to get everything done), but it's also a problem that a lot of people either are trying to manage or will have to overcome at some time in their life (otherwise they are very lucky).

This week I've just started university, and pack that with a photography course I'm trying to finish, as well as working 4 days a week, I'm just finding myself falling behind with time - or just wanting to crawl up in bed and sleep, which is probably just the preferable thing to do - and haven't had much time in the way of writing, or reading, or doing much else in the line of entertainment.

So, how can we choose to manage time better when it feels as though there are too many things to be done and not enough time to achieve everything?

1. Create priorities - yes it does seem as though there are a lot of things to do, but do all of them have to be done today? prioritise time to help decide what really needs to be done and what can be put off.
2. Create a schedule - this is one thing I like to do. I'm terrible when it comes to time management because I start a project and can be there all day doing that one thing because I become obsessed. Schedules at least tell you that you can only spend two hours writing, or reading, and you can split your time into all the things that need to be done.
3. Create deadlines - give yourself something to aim for as this will help keep you motivated on the task.
4. Give yourself incentives - Reward yourself with something good, even if it's a night off, or just a bit of chocolate, for achieving set targets. This will ensure you try to complete those targets.

Now, I just have to try and stick to some of those tips. So what is your insecurity for March?

Organisation! Who needs it?

Okay, so I'm not exactly the most organised person, especially when it comes to time. I have so many chaotic things I need to get done and I keep saying "I'll spend an hour doing one thing before moving on", but that never goes to plan.

I have a habit of getting side-tracked or becoming too focused on the one task that I lose track of time and not have any time for anything else.

One thing I am going to try and do is to force myself to stick to time limits and organise my afternoon time into four chunks (writing, school work, family and learning a foreign language... yes, that's taking up a lot of time at the moment).

So, how does everyone organise their time? Do you find you have too many things going on and not enough hours to complete everything?

The Crowded Hat Rack

In life, do you sometimes feel stretched to the limits and that there's not enough hours in the day to get everything done? Well, that's exactly how I'm feeling at the moment. I really need to petition to get the extra hour in the day... I'm actually losing 1 hour each day (stupid day light savings) so I really need that extra hour.

Today my uni started back up and I'm studying 3 courses externally. I'm mainly doing this because I'm at a high school teaching 3 English classes for 2 more weeks and can't get to uni to actually attend classes. This isn't usually a big problem, but I live on the border of Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, and Queensland doesn't have day light savings. So, while I'm at school I've got to get up an hour earlier and leave at 6:30 to get to school. This is making me incredibly tired by the end of the day.

I did try working one night, but by the time it got to 10 p.m. I was a zombie... luckily work hasn't been busy.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has to find time to wear "many hats" that are required in the day. I'm terrible with organisation, but I finally realised that having a big calendar sitting in front of me while I'm at the computer is an excellent reminder of anything that's due.

Colour coding is also a great way to keep track of all the obligations. Having each "hat" in a different colour will be easier to see what sort of task or area the obligation is from. I need one for work, teaching, uni, family and even my critique group.

So, how do you manage with the different roles and obligations you have in your life? Do you find it easy to prioritise or get everything done on time?

Where did the time go?

I started work tonight after practically one month off, and I'm already trying to find time to fulfil all my obligations. I like to keep busy, but maybe I'm taking on too many commitments. I also don't want to give up anything (well, maybe work... but I don't think the bills would like that very much). And, I still need to find time for reading (of course).

Here's my commitments:

1. Work
2. Uni
3. Writing
4. Blogging
5. Music (need to practice for guitar lessons)
6. Reading

So, a good way to organise all your commitments is to keep a work diary and schedule a timeslot to work on a particular item, and a deadline for it. The only problem with the diary is that I get a tad obsessive when working on a particular task (especially when I get into my writing) and forget all about the time.

I've also recently been giving myself at least an hour before bed to read. This will allow me time to keep up with everything (hopefully).

So, how do you find the time to do everything you've committed yourself to? Do you put time aside for reading? Or, how do you find the time?