Today’s post is a personal share of my journey with my writing, but more so, about how I’ve had to restructure and sculpt out a new way of being and managing my time. Truth is, I’m still in process of tweaking things and figuring out the most supportive schedule that honors both my needs for flow, but also creates a more a personal commitment to growth, by opening up to how discipline can be fun and efficient if I create a well-balanced bigger picture out of it.

One of the questions I’m asked is how I find time to do all the things I do, but especially where writing is concerned and what a typical day might look like for me. I actually included this on my new FAQ’s page so it is an anchor of reference for others and myself. Here is what I shared about my schedule and how writing has become an integral part of it:

“If you don’t make the time, it won’t happen. Or if you don’t make the time, something may happen to force the time upon you. And believe me, we can find time for what is important to us. At first I did it only when inspiration was flowing, until I fractured my foot hiking and got the message I needed to complete the story and not treat it as a side hobby. I used the two months of healing to do just that. And since, I’ve found that I need to balance inspiration and discipline in order to keep moving forward. So, I actually have recently created a very structured, but balanced schedule that involves at least a 2-3 hour block in the late morning for writing (which these days involves editing/revising) after my morning routine and time I allow for social media and an hour of writing a blog on the days of my blog series, I then have lunch break, a block for my exercise routine at the athletic center that includes time out in nature after class days, 2 hours of painting after that, and relaxing/movie time before getting to bed. Weekends are open to what ever shows up and allows for outdoor and social activities. Of course there are times extra things show up that need taking care of, so I just readjust to the best of my ability for that short duration.”

I have always been an organized person, but over the years I have gone to a more extreme version of flowing to counterbalance the many years before of over-working myself and being highly regimented and rigid (which produced huge amounts of stress, disconnect from my spirituality, and unhealthiness) – this to include my schooling years and years spent in office jobs.

What this ultra-flow resulted in was things piling up on me and then me ending up doing these big last minute pushes where I’d accomplish in-human feats.

So, yes, one extreme to another – years of over-worked, unrealistic demands I placed on myself to perform at an ideal perfection level always, to super flow, but then pulling out crazy accomplishments in the nick-of-time.

Not very healthy, to say the least.

And so I had my work cut out for me in learning how to fine-tune the right balance of each of these that both supports and harnesses my gifts.

In walks this new path I’ve carved out for myself that while is very streamlined in comparison to my previous flowy, multi-faceted days, also asks of me to create a committed and balanced discipline – a new sacred ritual to be my new norm and most natural way that takes the best of my abilities and creates a harmonious dance, rather than one partner taking the lead more.

And I will say, it’s been an interesting challenge that I’m taking my time to anchor.

This weekend I’ve been in reflection and opening to different perspectives of seeing it all in order to make adjustments that are best aligned with all angles taken into account.

While things have been in flux, I’ve been noticing how things feel and how other areas of my life are affected, then seeing if those are ways I’m okay with, or not.

It’s created an in-between-worlds percolating experience, as the shifts form.

If things feel off-balance I want to take a look at that and make sure its reflective of my essence and new, more authentic way of being (perhaps this off right now because it’s different), or if it is leaning too far to one side and neglecting my highest heart.

And so experimentation continues to weed out or embrace, but ultimately to anchor harmony.

This is why I feel my spirit has called in things like my new style of painting, which I haven’t done for several years – to help keep a creative flow going alongside a very disciplined editing time I have ahead.

Also bringing in the athletic center training ensures I don’t get trapped in my chair at my desk all day, helps physically move energy, and ensures physical well-being overall. It’s also hugely impacted my outdoor activities, as I’ve seen a major upgrade in conditioning, strength, and my ability to do things like strenuous climbing with speed and greater ease. Dave calls me “speed racer” and remarks I’m 20% faster….always ahead of him now these days.

And adding in regiments of time for other important aspects of entrepreneurship, joy, and connection with limits, both ensures balance and keeps things in check, as it’s easy to get side-tracked.

While this is the ideal schedule I’ve put together, which I actually have very thoroughly written out on a sheet of paper I keep at hand with time slots and all, I am open to higher versions that may speak through, as well as keep in mind realistic encouragement, without creating high demands on myself while I transition into this schedule.

I’m about 60% there while I’ve had a lot of new thrown at me and a lot of setting things in place that was key to make it all smooth, and I will continue to implement this over the next month to make it my new norm.

I am finding myself much more productive this way and getting used to it all, finding that it does in fact speak to all parts of me and truly is the way I will find myself able to accomplish all that I want in timely and aligned fashion.

When do you carve out your time for writing?

Do you have ways to make all the things you want to do, work into your life?

How might you shift your schedule and commit to implementing it?

Aren’t your desires and dreams worth it?