Challenge #4: Lack of Time, cont.

This is continued from last Wednesday. If you haven’t read the beginning, click here to see what the heck I’m talking about :) or read on for a quick recap:

Writers tend to feel time-strapped. Want to discover more time for writing? First, you need to do a little self-examination:

Step 1: Own your time. Recognize that, for the most part, you choose where your time goes.

For more thoughts on this topic, check out “10 Essential Tips to Change Your Life” on the Life Optimizer blog.

Step 2: Inventory how you spend your time.

Take stock: where are you spending your time? Do your hours disappear in Facebook? Blogging? Housework? Busywork? Productive activities? Unproductive activities? One you know where your time is going, you can make changes as needed.

• Three Things to Track in Your Life (Life Optimizer blog)

Step 3: Define your priorities.

Take a few minutes to identify your top priorities. They can be general (such as family, relationships, or financial security) or specific (publishing a novel, boosting income to 100K, etc.) What’s important to you? What do you want to accomplish in your life, if you can’t accomplish anything else?

There are lots of great resources on determining your goals, priorities, mission statement, and so on. Here are a few articles to get you started:

• Create a Life List (Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online)
• Decide What You Want (Abundance Blog at Marelisa Online)
• A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose (Life Optimizer blog)

Step 4: Compare the two lists. Ideally, you’re only spending time on things that are important to you.