Don’t get me wrong, I love the holidays, but as a writer they provide one of the most serious distractions from getting any writing done. Even with the assistance of Santa’s helpers such as this one!
So what can you do to actually accomplish some writing and not allow worries about deadlines/revisions/etc. to dim your holiday cheer?
The first thing is to do a loose schedule of what needs to be done, when it needs to be done and with whom it needs to be done. See if there aren’t any chores which can be combined in order to use your time more effectively.
Second thing to do is multi-task. If you want to be able to watch those shows you love, set up your wrap station in front of the television so you can do two things at once.
Get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later on as many days as you can. Try to fit in your writing in that extra hour. If you are definitely either a morning person or night owl, choose to do that extra hour during the time that is best for you. I’ve discovered I’m a morning bird and will get up at 5 a.m. instead of 6 to get the writing done.
If you’ve got some time coming to you at work, see about taking a day off to either do some of your chores or the writing.
Last, but not least, don’t worry about it. Worry is one of the most draining emotions that exists. It will accomplish nothing and only leave you feeling worse, which is the last thing you want to do during a season that should be filled with happiness, family and friends.
What do you do around the holidays to try to keep to your routines? I’d love to hear how you’ve managed to keep things running smoothly.