Photo by willsisti
I don't know. I'm not big on comparing--it just makes me feel bad. I do know that we all have different personalities, different rhythms, different ways of approaching things. My way would not work for everyone but it works for me.
My children are old enough to make their own breakfast and entertain themselves for a few hours upon waking. I set my alarm, get up early, and write or revise until noon. The kids know I'm all theirs after lunch. I do not cheat them of this time, and they in turn, respect that I'm working in the morning. A few days a week, after dinner, I spend a few hours on social networking, blogging, and updating websites.
I always feel a push-pull between my writing and family responsibilities. It's hard to mix it up right each day. Some days, I'll feel I should have spent more time with my family. Others, I'll panic that I haven't checked blogs in forever. I'm making peace with it, because it's not something that's going to go away.
Ten years ago, I wrote up a personal mission statement for my life. I no longer have the copy, but I clearly remember my priorities. 1. God 2. Husband and children 3. Work/personal pursuits.
I don't believe I need to spend every hour of every day catering to my children to prove they are a priority in my life. However, I can easily let my personal mission of being published overtake every waking minute. So I set aside each afternoon in the summer to spend with my kids--no writing allowed. In a few short years, I won't have the opportunity to spend precious summer hours with them. They'll grow up. They won't live here forever.
Writing has been my career (although I'm not yet published) for almost three years. My writing goals are attainable but challenging, and I push myself hard to meet them, even during the summer. Discipline isn't always fun. It doesn't always feel good. But without it, my writing would sputter to a stand-still in the summer.
With any career commitment, we have to juggle responsibilities, and those tasks don't always fall into an easy nine-to-five schedule.
Does your writing schedule change in the summer? How do you feel about it?
Join me on Friday to set one goal!
