Learning to Schedule

I know I have complained about this before, but I need to whine some more about: time.

My life went into complete upheaval about a month ago. I thought with the kids going back to school, I would have more time to write. Not.

If not, I’ve had less time because of juggling two jobs, and all the responsibility that comes with being a single mom. The only time that I really allot myself for “free time” is Sunday afternoons to watch the Panthers play. Let’s face it, football season is only a few months out of the year and I have to absorb all I can to get through the dark months without my favorite sport. Yes, I’m one of those football fans.

The sad thing is I had gotten really good about Twittering (and for anyone who knows me, Twitter is not my favorite social media site) But, daggummit, I had gotten into a great routine with it and actually started to like the program. I’d even started to contribute more on a writer’s forum. I’ve always been one of those I’m-too-new-of-a-writer-to-give-advice writers. What’s that saying? The lost leading the lost? Well, that is how I felt.

Over the last year, that mind frame has slowly turned. Not that I’m a veteran by any means, but I’ve finally gotten to the point where I feel like I have enough writer life experience that I do know a thing or two about it and I’m confident about what I know. Great feeling really. Freeing. Then boom!

I haven’t had time to socialize all month. My twitter account has sat silent for weeks. I have emails I keep thinking I’ll come back to, and then when I finally remember to go back to them, its days later. Guys, I had myself convinced my son had an allergy appt this past Monday. Guess what? It was LAST Monday. LAST! They even sent me a reminder voice mail, and somehow in this screwed up brain of mine it took a week for my mind to register he had an appt and I totally missed it. Freaking sad.

My goal is to sit down and work out a weekly schedule for each week. I work here and here, which leaves here and here to do this, and I need to sit down and just do it. I have my nights, but I’m usually so crossed-eyed deliriously exhausted by that time all I can do is mindlessly stare at the TV. Maybe I need to buy stock in that 5 hour energy thing, lol.

I know with change comes adjustment, and I’m still very much in the adjustment phase. I’ve been here before, and the adjustment phase always sucks, but it does end. So for everyone I’ve ignored this last month, I apologize. I will be back. Sooner rather than later and I’ll be back on the twittering train in no time. Besides, I have a book to finish and I’m really starting to get pissy with not being able to find time to work on it. I miss Aidan. I miss my shifters. I have to get back to them. It will all fall on getting into a routine. Routine. Routine. Routine.

How do some of you do it with tight schedules? Does this exhaustion eventually go away and instead of being comatose you actually have the energy to write?

Esme