A lot of people have been telling me recently that I'm Wonder Woman, and asking how the hell I have time to do everything I do. I don't feel like Wonder Woman at all, and think I manage to do a lot because I try not to waste a single minute of every day. So, just to show you what I mean, I thought I'd share with you a typical day...
I wake up at 5am. My partner starts work at 6, so he gets up then. I don't. I lie in bed in a semi-conscious state until he leaves just before 6. Then I get up and drag my laptop back to bed with me so I can check e-mail, catch up on Twitter, blog or write a little before I have to get the kids up at 7.
Between 7 and 8.30 it's chaos as I get the kids breakfast, make school lunch, get them dressed, do reading homework with Number 1 and usually read a little of whatever chapter book we're on to them. Oh, I also try to have breakfast myself somewhere in there, and at least one cup of coffee. Then we're out the door. I drop Number 1 at the bus-stop so he can walk the rest of the way to school while Number 2 and I take the bus into town.
On the bus, I tend to think about whatever writing I'm working on. It's a good 20 minute ride, and my son just likes looking out the window. Some of my biggest breakthroughs have come to me on the bus. When we get off the bus, I have to think of games to play while we walk the short distance from the bus stop to the daycare.
After dropping Number 2 at daycare, I walk down to work. I check the previous night's figures and send reports to the distributors before filling out my own spreadsheets. Then I spend about ten minutes writing myself a to-do list for the day, Throughout the day, I reward myself for finishing tasks by giving myself five minutes to check on Twitter or to check my personal e-mail or to see what's going on in my writing community.
Some days I have to work on the bar for several hours, and there is considerable downtime between sessions. Once I've done everything that needs to be done, I might get online and do some reviewing for my writing group while I wait for the next surge of customers. Other times I scribble down notes for what I want to work on later, or edit print-outs of short stories or chapters. But of course, that's all time dependent.
After work, it's another period of chaos while we get the kids home, dinner made, baths, teeth and bedtime. Some nights I do dinner then go to the gym and let Dad take care of the rest, but mostly, it's me. After the kids are in bed, I usually spend an hour or so with my partner, watching TV or talking, basically just relaxing. Then he goes to bed and I write. And I write. Sometimes I get so caught up, I don't realize how late it is and have to force myself to go to bed. 5am comes around very quickly.
So, as you see, not Wonder Woman. Just organized, I guess. How do you fit everything in?
Holy cow. You are Wonder Woman. That much organization frightens and astounds me. But in that kind of awe inspiring way.
ReplyDeleteI think I must be the antithesis of organized. If you were a superhero, I could be your arch-nemesis. ^_^
I don't feel organized though... I mean, you should see my desk at work! Any movement is asking for a paper avalanche. And I'm always trying to do three things at once, so everything overlaps in my brain which makes for some interesting typos...
ReplyDeleteWow, dude. I have no idea how you do all that. I'm stunned just thinking about it. I spend 16 hours a day writing or reviewing, emailing or posting. At the end, somehow you and I get the same amount of writing accomplished. Maybe you even get more. :-0
ReplyDeleteYou're scary...
Wow! 16 hours a day? That's amazing. I would kill for that much time. Then again, if I had that much time to write, who knows how much I would waste?
ReplyDeleteI have to say, film watching has suffered since I started writing seriously. I just don't want to waste writing time watching films, even if it is a part of my job. I try to only give up one evening a week to that, since I don't get paid extra for watching films out of work time. Yet.