You’ve taken time to analyze your time and your project. You’ve identified your needs and how to schedule writing. You’ve put all the pieces together and you’re doing it – writing. But there’s one important aspect that’s missing. An author managing writing projects needs to manage life to remain focused and effective.
Writers tend to become engrossed in their work. We push ourselves to be productive. However, if we aren’t careful we can fall into a cycle of diminishing returns. Overwork can leave a writer struggling to keep the content flowing.
Proper rest is incredibly important. Sleep is a key component to everything a writer needs to complete projects. It keeps us energetic throughout busy days. But more than that, it fuels creativity. A sleep deprived mind is sluggish and lack motivation.
How do I know all this? From personal experience. I have sleep apnea. When I was diagnosed with a sleep study the difference of a even a few hours of solid sleep was – literally – an eye-opener. I didn’t realized how much energy, creativity and – most importantly – life I was missing. With my CPAP, I have become increasingly more active with my writing over the last few years. It’s probably a major reason why my writing languished for the better part of a decade. Now I understand how Rip Van Winkle felt.
Lack of sleep affected everything I did. When I have a bad night’s sleep it really brings my productivity to a halt. I don’t even eat properly because I begin to eat just to stay awake and it’s not good food in that case.
So take my advice, drop what you’re doing and get some well-earned sleep. With regular sleep y0u can become far more productive. And while your at it, get some exercise and take some well-earned breaks to do some interesting activities. It all works to keep your life balanced so you can manage your writing project well.
What hinders your productivity? How can you be healthier as a writer? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section. I’d also love to connect with you over social media so check my Contact page for that information. See the News page for announcements and remember to sign-up to receive news and posts by email. I’ve added a new sign-up tab on my FaceBook page to simplify the process. New followers can download The Black Bag via free coupon today! Also, the cover of my book, The Bow of Destiny, was revealed recently so take a look.
Clip art licensed through Microsoft Office. Tiger photo courtesy Morguefile.com free photo section. Book cover licensed on commission from Christopher Rawlins.