4 Sure-fire Ways to Always Find the Time to Write (No Matter How Busy You Are)

Admit it. You think about it all the time.

The moment you open your eyes, while taking a shower, before going to bed, and even in the middle of the night when you unwillingly get up to use the bathroom. You think about it with so much joy that you can’t help but smile every time.

Your article idea.

Your brilliant idea that won’t leave your mind because you know it would make a huge impact. In fact, you are certain that it will change the lives of many people in your community.

But you just can’t find the time to write it now, even though deep down you know that the burning desire to write and create something of your own will never go away.

Then why do you keep procrastinating? 

Each week you find yourself back to square one, passionate to start, but you give priority to a million other things that you need to take care of first, before you can sit and start writing.

OK, I know the feeling. I’ve been there so many times.

I cowered in fear because I thought that nobody was ever going to read what I wrote.

And you know why?

Because I didn’t take my writing seriously. I thought of writing as a hobby. Something that I did occasionally but not serious work that could actually make me money.

Does this sound like you? 

Do you keep thinking that you don’t have what it takes to be a brilliant freelance blogger who can make a living writing?

Well, let me be the one to say it. You do! You do have what it takes.

You got into blogging to share your knowledge, build an amazing network of people who dig what you have to say, and become an authority in your industry. You chose to become a freelance blogger for flexible working hours and for being able to choose projects that you really want to work on.

And of course, to make money!

As a freelance blogger you CAN make real money.

But to start earning you have to start writing. So it’s time to stop making excuses and take some serious action!

Here are four simple ways that will help you create more time to write today, no matter how busy you are. And that doesn’t mean working harder than you work now, but working smarter and better.

Write on the go.

When I realized how important it was for me to always be ready to write down my ideas (because let’s face it, as busy moms we forget stuff all the time), I decided never to leave the house without a notebook and a pen. Call me old-fashioned but I still believe in the good old pen and paper. And I do this for two reasons:

• It instantly enhances my creativity.
• It gives me a chance to work while I’m playing with my children, without feeling guilty.

And once the kids are asleep, I transfer all that I’ve written into my computer and have the first draft of my article ready.

Schedule your writing sessions.

This is crucially important because let’s be honest – even when you think you have free time to write, unless it’s on your to-do list, it won’t happen.

I used to think that I needed a full workday every day to be productive and finish all my tasks. But even 8-10 hours a day sometimes weren’t enough. This made me feel frustrated and nervous.

And all because I wasn’t focusing on the right things.

Instead of focusing on writing only I was constantly being interrupted by irrelevant tasks that I could have done later. And when I would finally sit and write in order to meet my deadline, I would write for several hours without taking a break, which resulted in an inevitable burnout.

But there is a better way to do it and it works.

• Schedule your writing sessions in advance (I do it the night before)
• Use a timer (I use PowerFocus app)

So today start with assigning time just for writing. Set your timer to 20 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break. During this time, write everything that comes to mind. Leave editing for later.

This helps you focus on writing only without being distracted. Make your sessions longer as you get used to this method and I promise you will see incredible results.

Embracing and nurturing this habit helped me increase my productivity immeasurably.

Create special “writing” time every morning by waking up earlier.

You may think I’m crazy for waking up at 4 every morning but this is something that has worked well for me for years. Research shows that people who get up early are happier, healthier and more productive than the ones who stay up late and sleep in.

Still, even if you think that getting up at the crack of dawn is hard and pointless, give it a try for a week. Wake up a bit earlier than you usually would. Even half an hour a day will make a drastic difference in how you feel and work that day.

Here’s what you need to do.

Calculate how many hours of sleep you need and work out the timing that works best for you. This means that if you want to wake up at 5.30AM instead of 6AM, make sure you go to bed half an hour earlier.

For me, the time between 4-6AM is sacred. This is when I exercise, meditate and write.

So just think about how wonderful it would be to be the first one to greet the new day, to have your coffee while watching the sunrise, and to give your burning desire to write another chance in complete peace and serenity while the rest of the world is still asleep.

Take a mindful break. 

I know what you’re thinking. What do I mean by “mindful” break and how can taking a break increase your productivity?

Well, let’s say it is one thing that we all forget to do because there is always something more important that comes up. You think you’re not tired and you continue working without refreshing your brain and giving your muscles a much needed stretch. But just 15 minutes of peaceful, continuous rest can do wonders for your creativity and motivation.

Here’s what I mean.

When I used to take a break from writing I would immediately go to my phone to read the news, check my social media accounts and mindlessly scroll down forgetting where I was.

And while I thought I was taking a break, I was actually becoming exhausted.

So one day I decided to track down my downtime and see what I was doing when I was supposed to be resting.

This may shock you, but on average, I would spend 2-3 hours a day just reading the news on my phone! That’s 3 hours of my valuable time that was spent each day on absolute rubbish.

So then I made a switch. I deleted all the news apps, I stopped watching TV and I assigned special timings for social media activity.

And guess what?

By doing this I actually gained 3 precious hours that I now spend on writing. As simple as that!

Now imagine being able to finish your article just when you want to. No more procrastinating, no frustrating episodes and feeling guilty for avoiding the one thing you want to do the most.

And now you can.

Your writing is a work of art. Be selfish about it. It’s your full time job. You created it. You have every right to claim it.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy your work and reward yourself for all the little wins along the way. Just finishing an amazing article and submitting it to a major blog is a huge step forward.

The more you write, the more incredible results you will see.

You are learning and growing with your freelance blogging business. Identify with it. Believe in what it is becoming.

Great things are coming your way.

Do you use any of these productivity methods in your daily workflow? What has helped you create more time to write? Feel free to share your success stories in the comments!