I recently flipped my schedule upside down to honor writing time. My previous modus operandi was to clear the endless slate of daily chores first. Did you catch the word endless? Those piddly diddlies never go away, so writing time never came. Now, I follow a practice taught by author Ellen Sussman (book review here). Writing hours happen first thing. For 45 minutes (timer set), I only write. No technology. No interruptions. No excuses. The remaining, equally important, fifteen minutes (timer set) is dedicated to some mindless activity.
Guess what? During that quarter-hour of non-writing time, all kinds of daily chores are disappearing. Cleaning out email. Filing. Practicing drumming or piano. The piddly diddlies are magically tamed. Setting aside these split hours first, foremost and first-thing has created space to breathe in a sense of accomplishment and time to honor the important things.
Admittedly, I wear under the weight of the End of Year times like everyone else. Piled on top of normal life are Holiday parties, dinners with friends, shopping, decorating, baking, cooking, wrapping, traveling, etc. Morning writing time has slipped from its A-One spot, but only for a week. Maybe two. Because come next year, I’ll return to making things happen, one dedicated hour at a time.
Quote of the Week…
“A loving person lives in a loving world. A hostile person lives in a hostile world. Everyone you meet is a mirror.” Ken Keyes, Jr. 1921-1995
Patty Mayeux Blog 
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