Time management.
I used to be so good at it. Not lately. And I know why. I no
longer have daily deadlines.
As a teacher, my day
was laid out for me. My lesson plans had to be executed in specific time slots.
Since I knew my exact time frame and what I needed to accomplish, I was
excellent at meeting the requirements.
By the time I retired, I was ready for the freedom of
my own schedule. I was ready to write for the glory of God! I could write in
the morning. Or write in the afternoon. Late night hours were especially
productive. For a while.
I am not good at time management.
A hundred distractions a day draw my attention away from the
words on my screen. I’m like a kitten following the red dot from a laser pointer.
(Right now, rain is tapping on the window. I like the sound of rain. It’s
gentle, a premonition-of-spring type of rain, not a gully-washer. Maybe I’ll get
my umbrella and—see what I mean? I’m chasing another red dot.)
Back to my original problem. Should I blog? Should I write a
short story? Should I polish the first few pages for submission to a contest? Should
I get a drink of water? Or tea? Should I write the newsletter for Hoosier Ink?
Should I begin revisions on Book 2 in World Without Sound? Should I go to the gym? Should I
write the outline for my next series? Should I?—I can’t stop chasing those red
dots all over creation!
I’ve tried making lists. This is a good thing to start with.
Unless I don’t follow the list…
Susie May Warren has a terrific organizational tool through
My Book Therapy where I can write down all kinds of writing-related tasks. I’m
terrified I’ll spend my days filling in all those pristine blanks and running
out of time to do what I planned.
I need help in knowing where to start.
Which task is most important to God? I’m thanking Him for
the sermon my pastor preached a few weeks ago. He took the mystery out of “What
is God’s will for my life?”
The gist of the message: “What does God want you to do in
the next fifteen minutes?”
Most of us, can answer that question. We can figure out
priorities for the next fifteen minutes. We know what will please God in that
next quarter hour.
I am getting better at managing my days. After every
task, I look at the next fifteen minutes. If no outside forces have already
determined the subsequent task, I take time to ask God, “What do You want me to
do?”
A few moments of re-centering my soul with Him, and I have my answer. I can focus. I begin the next task. When that annoying laser pointer
bounces a light across my concentration, I send a quick appeal to heaven. The
red dot blinks out.
Linda Sammaritan writes realistic fiction, mostly for kids
ages ten to fourteen. She is currently working on a middle grade trilogy, World Without Sound, based on her own
experiences growing up with a deaf sister.
Linda had always figured she’d teach middle-graders until
school authorities presented her with a retirement wheelchair at the overripe
age of eighty-five. However, God changed those plans when He gave her a growing
passion for writing fiction. In May of 2016, she blew goodbye kisses to her
students and dedicated her work hours to learning the craft.
A wife, mother of three, grandmother to seven, Linda regales
the youngest grandchildren with “Nona Stories,” tales of her childhood. Maybe
one day those stories will be in picture books!
Where Linda can be found on the web:
