While chatting with a colleague the other day, the subject came around to our extra-curricular creative pursuits. We're both nearing our 'use by' dates in terms of gainful employment, and are planning our pending retirement. However, neither of us envisage a lazy retirement. We are both very busy with our day jobs and familial duties and responsibilities. I told him I write a little bit every day, which surprised him.
"How do you fit it in?" he asked. "How do you find the time?"
"I don't," I said. "I make the time."
I was once of the same mindset. How do I find time to do what I want? Why am I always doing things for everyone and never doing something for myself?
I published my first book in 2015, the second in 2017 and the third in 2018. Nothing since. Why? What was different about those years and the forty years before, or the five years since? Was I any less busy then?
No! This was a time when my work life was at its busiest. I had just started working in the evenings with a friend who was setting up an online business, had a demanding full time job, and I was also teaching an early morning class before work, which I needed to prepare for.
So how on earth did I do it? I made the time.
We all have the same 24 hours in every day, and none of us have Hermione's time-turner to let us go back and add in a couple more hours here and there.
From my perspective, the difference between 'finding the time' and 'making the time' is this:
Finding the time implies that you have to squeeze it in, somehow, that there are more important things you could be doing rather than this one thing that means more to you.
Making the time, however, implies priority. I had set a goal to write, format, design the cover, and publish, and carved time out of my busy schedule to make sure it happened.
Fast-forward to now. Each morning BEFORE I'm due to start work, and I write. I have made that my priority. I have made that my time. I make the time to write. It's that simple.
Make the time to do the things that matter most to you, and you will find you have all the time in the world!
Love this! I am guilty of 'finding time' for things and have never really considered the alternative approach of 'making time'. I've shared this pearl of wisdom with a close circle of friends. We have been trying to 'find time' for a get together, there are only 6 of us in the group and its proving impossible, let's see if this different approach helps 😄
I enjoyed this insight Phoebe and its so true of most of us, I think 🥰