How Do You Find Time to Write?

Life is rich and full. How can you find time to write? Maybe it’s too hard now. Maybe you’re supposed to wait until life isn’t so busy. Maybe there will be another season to write. But what if you miss out and never find time?

Or maybe time is not the problem. You have that, but somehow you never seem to sit down and write. You procrastinate. The end of the week comes and that productive writing week you thought you’d have has amounted to, well, not much.

So how can we find time to write?

I can give you all sorts of how-to tips for finding time to write, but I think we need to look at something deeper: Do you believe you’re called to write?

Believe in your calling

First, we must wrestle with, decide, and believe we’re called. I posted about that recently. You see, until we’ve settled that, then I don’t think we’ll ever find time to write.

If we’re wrestling with the calling question, there’s a good chance we’re supposed to be writing! I believe that when we walk with God, submitting to His will and ways, then our hearts’ desires will line up with His.

So can you settle that now? You’re called to write! In fact, say out loud, I am a writer!

You must decide to honor your calling

We must decide the priorities of our lives, and then give those priorities our best time and energy. That’s what stewardship is all about.

Just like my husband and kids are top priorities and I make time for them, I’ve learned to make time for my writing priority.

When my children were young, that meant getting up early and using one hour each day, before the kids woke up, to write. I have morning energy, so that worked for me. What time of day and how much time works for you?

Learn to say a prayerful no

Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend is one of the most lifechanging books I’ve read. This book, based on biblical principles, gave me permission to say no.

Just as the physical world has boundaries –  think about a home with a yard surrounded by a fence as the physical boundary – so, too, do we have boundaries in the spiritual world. They’re just not visible, making them a little trickier.

It’s up to me and God to decide on my boundaries. And then I’m the gatekeeper, allowing which activities and people come in or not.

Before reading this book, I felt guilty when I said no to others, for I didn’t like disappointing. As I added writing to my schedule, I didn’t like when others couldn’t understand why I couldn’t continue all the things I had been doing. So I just kept opening that gate. I ended up doing things I didn’t really want to while getting nowhere with my writing.

Some of us don’t wrestle with saying no, but I sure did. But I’ve learned. I learned that a good Christian doesn’t have to say yes to every opportunity to serve. A Christian doesn’t have to say yes to every need. It’s not selfish to say no.

I learned that honoring my calling means honoring my boundaries.

Don’t wait for permission to be a writer

Don’t wait for others to give you permission. Don’t wait for writing not to be hard. Don’t wait for finding time to be easy. Don’t wait for others to understand. Don’t wait for all your fears to disappear. Don’t wait for words to flow effortlessly and creatively every day you write. Don’t wait till you know for sure what the end of your writing project will look like. Don’t wait for all to be easy.

You see, even a calling can be hard. Even a gift takes cultivating.

But then there will be days when you soar, when you think, this feels awesome!

And before you know it, you will have written the book of your heart and dreams.

How can I pray for you today to honor your calling?

~ Melanie