by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka

Am I the only one in need of some time management hacks during summer break?

“I just want some uninterrupted time. That’s all I ask for.” These were my wishes as I shared with a friend all that’s going on in my family’s life right now. All our plans and activities on the calendar might be making me breathe shallow. 

I have been thinking through how to open up time for the things I want to do, like . . . work on my story. I’m guessing I’m not the only one in this place of craving more time to focus on what we want or need to.

Here are a few time management hacks I’ve used to open up time for writing:

Practical time management hacks:

• Prepare simple meals on busy nights. Or, when we have a night where we’re cooking, make a double-batch, freeze, and pull that out on a night when cooking is a no-go.
• Delegate age-appropriate chores to the young ‘uns in the house. Our sons began sorting laundry at two years old. They started emptying the dishwasher (non-breakables at first) when they were five. As we teach them how to do things around the house, they grow more independent, and we have fewer tasks we must complete. 
• Begin having each child prepare a meal one night a week. If we’re super brave, we can let them choose the meal based on simple guidelines—a main course and a vegetable. We started teaching our sons to cook when they were about eight. I didn’t put them in charge of meals until they were twelve, but they took pride in making simple meals for the family. And this gave me time to write.
• Assign children a night to do the kitchen after supper. Don’t expect perfection. A “good enough” job is fine. You can go write in a different room. Let them listen to music or get a little silly if they’re cleaning with a sibling.
• When possible, delegate household responsibilities to other family members. Especially when our families are onboard with our writing dreams, this is a great way to create writing time.

Writing time management hacks:

• Add our writing time as an appointment on the calendar and keep that appointment.
• Don’t be shy about saying no to other things to open up writing time. When we’re following the calling God’s given us, a yes to one thing means a no to another.
• When possible, plan out ahead of time what we want to work on during our writing time. This way, when we sit down with our stories, we can get right to work.
• When writing, turn off all notifications. They are a huge distraction!
• If we get distracted by things we remember while writing, make a list and get right back to work. Don’t get up and do that thing right then.
• Set a timer and work for the entire time. When the timer dings, get up, grab some water, maybe do one of the tasks you need to complete. Some people work for thirty minutes, others for sixty. Find what’s best for your groove. Don’t let other things distract us from the stories God’s given us. 

Though completely uninterrupted time may only be a dream, we can use time management hacks to make more time to write. 

Tell me, friends, what time management hacks do you use to open up writing time? 

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Award-winning, aspiring novelist and blogger Jeanne Takenaka writes contemporary fiction that highlights how faith and grace hold hands in relationships with people and with God. She, her husband, and two boy-men call Colorado home. She loves being a God-seeker, hanging out with friends, and savoring oat milk lattés. When she’s not writing, you can find her, camera in hand, searching for #alittlebitofpretty. She’s a member of ACFW and Novel Academy.