So I'm totally brain dead tonight after working two full weeks. I had forgotten how demanding this job really is. Now all I want to do is come home, eat, and fall into my chair until I can go to bed. At 9pm.
Yeah. Whine whine.
Not really because I am so grateful. Really.
That being said, I miss my writing. The weekend isn't going to be enough. So I've got to find a way to juggle the few hours I have left in my life.
In the last post, I was so happy to see what all you shared. The real stuff. The stuff that makes us want to keep going. The stuff that boosts my spirit when I'm like this. Wondering where my writing career will go as I do this thing called The Next Life Challenge.
I get up at 5 and leave the house at 7:30 and come home by 6.
Tell me how you do it.
28 comments:
We didn't either. Rare are the people who can do it all. Something's got to slip. Take care of the important things.
I feel for you, Terri. The transition has got to be tough. I trust you'll get a handle on things soon and find more time for your writing.
Terri, I'm not sure how people who work full-time do it. Maybe slip in some writing on your lunch break?
One blogger I know who's a teacher gets up at four am to write.
I hope you find something that works well for you. Even if you only get in a page a day, that's something. :-) Your body needs time to adjust too, you know. Things will settle.
I can't imagine having to work those hours and write too! You must be brain dead after those long days!
If you have an hour lunch maybe you can squeeze in a half hour to write...even if it's in a notebook or journal and work on some edits/revisions.
Hang in there!
I hear you. I get up at 4:45 and leave the house at 6:00. I try very hard to be home by 5:00. Finding time for writing? It's hard. Sometimes I can get a bit of time during lunch, but usually I write on weekends. I rejoice when there is a three-day weekend. Hang on, Terri. You can only do what you can do.
I can't offer much advice in this department, but I can pray that you find some pockets of time to do what you love.
Hugs and blessings,
Karen :)
Started writing before I worked outside the home, but now I only work 3 days a week, and I write instead of watch tv, eat, sleep, get dressed, almost anything takes a second to writing.
I don't know the answer to the "when" or the "how" you will have time, but I do know GOD will make a way. He is using you and HE will continue to do so.
Hugs,
andrea
I really feel for you! I remember how hard it was going back to full time work after 20 years of being a SAHM. I seriously don't know how people do it!
The last semester I was teaching, when the writing was just taking over my life in a good way, I got up super early and wrote and then wrote again after school, and on the weekends. I think what made the weekday morning segments productive was having in my mind where I was going with the story when I went to bed at night so I had to spend very little time getting oriented in the morning.
Maybe as you settle in to your job so of your energy will be freed up for writing.
I think it'd be tough to keep to a writing schedule with a new job as demanding as yours. I'd start off slow so you're not putting to much pressure on yourself, then you can revel in the writing that you do.
it's all about priorities and yours is survival now. pray and time will come and energies as you adjust to your new schedule....
Terri: I will pray that God give you immense wisdom, and help you manage your time.
First, you must let yourself off the hook and not be too harsh in your expectations. This is a transition time; in a couple more weeks you'll be better adjusted. A year from now, you'll be stylin' with the best of them.
I'm no example, but this is what works for me: I arise at 5:15 or 5:30. I spend my early mornings praying and reading the Bible, to get God's perspective. Rarely do I write in the early morning, or I'd neglect my time with Him, and be more of a mess than I already am!
Before clocking in at work I hop on the computer to blog, then again at lunch, and occasionally I stay after work to blog. The computers at work are much faster than those at home, so I get more done in a shorter time.
After supper, I usually write an hour or so, but don't push myself too much on weeknights unless I have a deadline. I write mostly on Saturdays--that's my meaty time to really concentrate. And I write my blog posts on Sunday afternoon, and scedule them.
I also pay someone to clean my house, and my husband does most of the cooking. We try to keep our lives as simple as possible. We don't watch t.v., but we do see old movies on dvd for entertainment. And we go out to eat once a week or so.
God will show you what works best for you, my dear. Trust Him to lead. And rest, rest, rest. Your health and sanity is more important than how many words you write each day.
Love you,
Jen
Terri, its always very hard the first season of a new job.
I remember a job I started that I thought I would literally die from it. However as time passed by my body adjusted and I found that I had more energy in the evenings and wasn't so exhausted.
Give yourself some time. Do what you are physically able to right now, maybe sometimes push a little bit, but let your body tell when the time is right.
Blessings and prayers for you.
Vickie
Btw how is your mom doing?
I was never a morning person until I got tired of not doing anything for me! This season of life is the busiest ever with homeschooling and teaching 20 kids two days a week. Not to mention carting teens around most evenings. So I decided I would get up early at least 4 days a week (I sleep in on Fridays.)
It wasn't easy training my body to get up 3 hours earlier than I was used to and I did it gradually, but I'm doing it! I have time in the morning now to do almost everything I want, coffee, prayer, exercise and writing! Now if I can only get more focused and write more! I'm also taking a much needed escape to a hotel to work on my WIP this weekend. Writing in chunks seems to work best for me!
Terri, you'll figure it out. Give it some time. Life is always changing and we're always having to adjust. Hang in there and if you need a laugh, go check out the post I wrote yesterday "another WIP Bites the Dust!" Writing is HARD!!!
I've been thinking and thinking how I do squeeze in writing/editing time and other than locking the kids in the closet all day I couldn't come up with anything (a JOKE in case someone is truly worried I do this).
I'll pray for you. Making time for what we love is important, but excruciatingly difficult sometimes.
Love,
Wendy
My heart went out to you just reading the post title. I feel like this so often, and I know this week had to have been so hard for you.
First weeks at a new job– or even a new schedule – are always really, really hard. Next week will be easier, and then the week after even easier, until it starts to feel like normal.
I don't know how women go to an office every day and still run the house, let alone manage to write. But somehow when God calls us to do something, He always gives us a way to do it.
Praying for you today!
Sorry to hear you're stretched so thin. When life's really crazy, I feel stretched even *more* if I'm not able to write. I hope you're able to find some writing time to scratch that itch!
Huge hugs, my friend. I'm pausing to pray for you right now.
You know, Terri, I don't know one woman who works full time that has it all together. It takes so much to keep a home going, but when you work the whole day, time is so precious.
It has been a long time since I worked full time, but even at a part time basis, I had difficulty making meals, keeping up with the laundry, cleaning, shopping etc. Hang in there.
Praying God's continuing strength for you and your family! :O)
www.dianeestrella.com
This must be very hard until you get used to your new schedule. Then you will find the little places where you can write. There's lots of good advice from your bloggers. I'm sure that God knows how important your writing is and He will help you fit it in.
Terri, I'm praying for you to find a way to fit writing in if that's what you feel called to do. Remember, there is a season for everyting. Right now I think God's calling me on a sabatical from writing. I'm feeling peace about that. I hope you find peace in whatever hours of writing you get.
Terri, I could never try to guess what God is up to in your life, but apparently He is working overtime, lol! But maybe you could give yourself permission to put the writing on the back burner for a bit and throw yourself into your new job. It sounds like you're mentally trying to juggle both and that IS exhausting. I feel that way all the time with juggling family, writing and going back to school. Sometimes I get to the point where I have to take a breather and give myself permission to just be in the moment. Otherwise, the mental load KILLS my creativity. I'll be lifting you up this week!
Hi Terri -
While I really need a job, I wonder how I'll find time to do anything else.
I think you'll settle into a schedule. The first two weeks are the worst in any new job. Once you are comfortable with the position, the mental stress will ease.
Blessings,
Susan :)
Once you hit your working-stride, I'll just bet you find a lot of creative ways to fold writing into your schedule.
What I have found to be the case with me, having worked fulltime most of my entire life, is that I'm actually more productive, more organized when I'm working, than when I'm not. I took a year off here; a year off there; and what I discovered is how good I got at frittering away hours.
It'll come. You watch.
Blessings,
Kathleen
It'll become easier to do your work and be less drained at the end. You'll get back into doing the small stuff on automatic pilot, and you'll become better at knowing where to expend the effort and where to nod and smile.
Terri,
Dear one, I pray that you will get those snippets of time. Long, long ago, in a faraway land, I battled similar issues. Only through God's grace did ANYTHING get done!!!
Patti
I used to travel for four hours everyday (up and down included) to my place of work....and there is not much one can do except wait to reach home...and that is when I used to read, listen to my favourite music or pen down the lil thoughts that come and go...on a piece of a tissue paper. I have even used an eye liner for writing on the go:)
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