Routines

Since diving into writing more on a regular basis and self-publishing my first novella, I have had several people ask me how do I find time to write. In a perfect world, writing would be my full-time job, but it’s not. I have a career (aka- full time job), I am a mom to two daughters, a wife and the primary caretaker to three dogs and two cats.

So just how do I fit in all the normal day to day obligations, plus find time to do what I love?

Routines.

I love routines.

Routines, schedules, timelines, you name it, I love it.

Actually, love isn’t the right word for it.

I crave routines.

It’s not a shocker that I fell in love with the regimented schedule in the Army. You may call me a psychopath, but from the age of 17, I have loved what a strict schedule or routine can do for a person.

Now I will say that routines and schedules are not for everyone. You may be reading this and are thinking- “Cecilia, you are out of your mind, there is no way I could have a routine.”  And you may be correct. It’s not for everyone, but it works for me.

So here is an example of my current weekday/workday routine. I will state that I have been working from home since March of 2020, which I am eternally grateful for. Working from home has given me back an additional two hours in my day, which used to be spent on my work commute. I know that this is not the case for everyone, so again, this is simply my process.

0500-0530- Wakeup, drink coffee and feed all five pets

0530-0600- Creative team meeting (AKA walk the dogs)

0600-0700- My workout time (I do variety of workouts from running, yoga to HIIT workouts)

0700-0730- shower/eat/journal

0730-0800(sometimes to 0830)- Writing time (could be on a book or blogs)

0800 (0830)- Work start time varies depending on my first meeting of the day.

1200-1300- lunch break- eat/play with dogs/ work on book admin work

1300-1700- continue with my day time job

1700-1800- cook dinner/eat/cleanup (mandatory everyone eats at table)

1800-1830-play with dogs outside

1830-1930- more writing or book admin work

1930-2030- one last dog walk/play time

2030-2100- read/relax

2100- bedtime!!

Now you may be asking, “But Cecilia, what happens when something comes up, like a week night event or school function?”. Don’t worry, I can adapt and overcome. Of course, I don’t love deviating from my routines, but I do give myself grace to go with the flow if there are week night events. Typically, when that happens, it just means I need to double down on the weekends with more writing time.

Speaking of weekends, this is where I do relax on the routines… somewhat. I still keep the same wakeup time and workout regimen, but our weekends vary with what we have going on. I make it a goal to write for at least six hours over the course of Saturday and Sunday. Sometimes that may be in two-hour blocks, or it may get into bite-sized chunks of only thirty minutes. And I should add that I do not beat myself up if I am too busy to write. I simply try to make an effort the following weekend to get the time in writing.

I also carry a notebook with me everywhere I go. So, if I am waiting at an appointment or waiting in the school pick-up lane, I have my notebook ready to jot down ideas and thoughts. This helps a ton when it comes time to sit down at my laptop and put in the time. I take my notes and see what I have to work with and this has been a huge hep for me.

But what about if I have to go back to my 2+ hours of commuting each day? Well, I will do what I did before, lots of recording my thoughts on my phone and playing them back on the weekends when I have the time to sit down and write. You would be shocked to know that prior to 2020 and working from home, I documented close to 80% of Always Forward while driving my commute each day.

Moral of this blog is that when you are passionate about something, you will find the time for it. Working in blocked times and having a strict routine not only keeps me focused but also is helpful for dealing with my PTSD. I’m not a doctor and I certainly am not a professional life coach, but this has worked for me. Take what you think may be helpful for you, or forget all of it and keep reading my other blogs. I promise they aren’t all life hacks or self-help blogs!