Okay. So you’ve made the decision you are a writer, or a golfer, a concert violinist, a lawyer. Whatever your heart’s desire is.
And you’re ready to take the next step: making time to become the best you can be.
And you stop, stumped, scratching your head. “How do I do that?” you ask.
Sit down, dear friend, and let me share some ideas with you.
If we’re working a day job and writing, we are actually juggling four significant obligations—family, church, work, writing.
When I worked a day job, the best advice I received was “Get up earlier.” Here is how I carved up my Monday through Friday make the writing time I needed.
4:00 a.m.-5:30 a.m. Devotions, exercise, shower, dress
5:30 a.m.-7:30 a.m. WRITE
7:30 a.m.-8:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. DAY JOB
5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. FAMILY
9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Wrap-up the day
By simply getting up earlier, I created two hours of writing time every day. I’ll admit it looks simple but it was hard at the beginning. It took discipline to obey the alarm. Hint: I put in a place where I had to get out of bed to turn it off.
By the end of the first week, I discovered the benefit. I’d written more words in that week than in a month of trying to find the time to write.
Key discovery I made: Keep the weekends free for family and the other stuff that goes with life.
Now that I write full time, my schedule is much different. Writing is my day job. I have to discipline 
myself to create time for family and church and the other stuff of life.
Is this the perfect schedule for everyone? Obviously not. But I hope it stimulates some thoughts in looking at your own activities and getting creative with your time.
How are you at making and keeping schedules? Can you see areas where you can do it better?
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