Write Faster!

Time.  There never seems to be enough time to…do it all. 

Outside of my writer life, I’m a wife, mother, daughter and friend.  With the constant responsibilities, worries and plans that accompany these different aspects of life how do we accomplish all that begs doing in a day?  Let me begin by saying, I don’t. 

I fail miserably at something on the “to do” list every single day.  But recently, I began thinking about the bigger picture of a year’s long list while commiserating with one of the CRW Bad Girlz on this topic.  I began to think not about whether or not I got all the laundry done today, but about how I’d used my time over the course of the past year.  I’ve checked many items off the “to do” list in the last year; however, I’ve wasted a great deal of time as well.  I began to really think about how I use my time.  If it were all added up into a giant teetering pile of actions, I think I’ve lost months to rushing to one person or another’s aid.  As honorable as this is…does it belong on my “to do” list?

This was when it hit me—my “to do” list is filled with other people’s to dos.  Am I the only one guilty of this crime? 

I’m not complaining, but the fact is I’ve spent the past few months traveling 2 hours away from home to my Dad’s house to be helpful in the wake of my Mom’s passing.  I’ve cleaned his basement, his attic, sorted donations and organized a garage sale.  All of these things needed to be done, but at what cost to my life?  I’ve had no time to accomplish what I want to accomplish for my life, my goals and my future.  At the end of the day no one is to blame for this occurrence but me.  I’m happy I could help my Dad as well as others in my life, but I think it’s time to put myself as a priority.  So, now that my Mom’s clothes have been sorted and donated I’m determined to slow down.  I can’t clean my house if I’m never home to clean it.  I can’t be the mother or wife I want to be if I’m never home for my family.  I can’t write a great manuscript if I’m never home to write it. 

The key to speed is slowing down. 

How will I use my time over the next year?  My Mom used to say, “A dollar is a hundred pennies holding hands.”  I think she was trying to get me to save my money and not spend it all on shoes—HA!  But, by the same token, a year is the accumulation of every day’s “to do” lists holding hands.  So, if I fail miserably at different things every day for the next year, I’ll get a great deal done.  But, they will all be my things to get done.

As Mr. Alpha Male tells me at least 3 times a week, “Write faster!” So, I’m vowing to do just that.  I will slow down and write faster.

Do you need to slow down in life?  What will you do with the time you find in your schedule?