Monday, December 6, 2010

Be A Writer

Do you find yourself caught in the midst of holiday chaos? Torn between shopping, wrapping, baking and preparing for meals? As a writer mom, it is always easy to feel the pull of what needs to be done around the house or for the family. The dishes piled in the sink, the laundry load that has fluffed four times before you decide to take the time to pull it out and fold it, meals to cook, the house to clean...the list goes on and on. The holidays,however, add a whole new level of items to the things-to-do list.

As I sat here this morning thinking about my day and how to balance writing with some of the household and Christmas items I need to accomplish as well today, I read Susan Shaughnessy's words in WALKING ON ALLIGATORS, and they put, very simply, into perspective how to start my day.

"Today, I am going to act like the writer I want to be. I will fend off all distractions. I will write."

So, for the morning, at least, I will write. The afternoon may be spent on all the other stuff that needs to get finished while the kids are at school, but, all too frequently, I let all that stuff eat up the whole day in an effort to get it done. One thing leads to the next which leads to the next and soon there is not a stitch of time left for writing. Not today...today, I will write.

How about you? Are you finding it difficult to fit it all in this holiday season? If so, I'd love to hear what is working for you in terms of time management.

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