Creating More Time to Run (or Write)

I always hated when people would say, “We all have the same 24 hours a day.” While that may be true, it lacks sympathy for those who struggle with time management.

Living in today’s world implies that we are all busy. Very busy. Some of us are so busy, we’re overwhelmed, stressed, or filled with anxiety. Is that you?

As far as finding more time to write or run, it really comes down to priorities. Your characters need to have values and you need to know what they value so you can create amazing conflict for them.

But when it comes to real life – your life – we don’t need more conflict. We want more time. Time to write. Time to run. Even time (dare I say it?) to relax.

Analyze Your Time

To analyze your priorities, you need to analyze your time. Once, I wrote down EVERYTHING I did for a month – at work. As I tracked my time and what I did with it, I kept tabs in a chart on a spreadsheet. When I analyzed how I was spending my time, it was eye-opening! There were certain things I did too much of. Others I took too long to complete. Lots of distractions. I categorized my actions and revamped my day to reclaim two extra hours each day in productivity!

You can do the same thing. I wouldn’t do it for a whole month though, one to two weeks is plenty. The main purpose here is to not only analyze your time but also your priorities.

 
If you find that you are watching 3 hours of TV 4 days a week, but you are running for 30 minutes 2 days a week, then that sadly says you actually value entertainment (or at least watching TV or movies, even if educational) more than you value your running time.

 
If you go out to lunch or dinner with your spouse 3 times a week, maybe opt to make one of them a running date instead. Celebrate with a smoothie afterward!

You can make simple changes to get more running (and writing time).
 

Make Your Running a Habit

A lot of what I share with you relates not only to running, but also to your writing, especially when it comes to time, productivity, mindset, consistency, distractions, and so much more.

Here are a few tips to get you started: 

1. Run (or write) first thing in the morning - it’s often easier to do before the rest of the day crowds out your time. 
2. Try to do it at the same time every day - it’s easier to become a habit when it’s based on the same triggers each day. 
3. Do it daily. Or at least regularly. Maybe you write on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and you run Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Whatever schedule you choose for yourself, be consistent. 
4. Include other people. This helps you be more accountable. Have a training partner or a writing buddy. Go for runs together. Have Zoom writing sessions together - in silence. You may need more than one person - a running buddy and a different writing partner. 
5. Be flexible when adding the activities you want to become a habit on your calendar. Leaving gaps on your calendar can account for all the unplanned life interruptions that naturally happen and we never save any space for them. 

 Lastly, read Atomic Habits by James Clear

Attend a Writing (and Running) Retreat

Since we’re talking about finding more time to run, attend a writing AND RUNNING retreat, such as the Writers Who Run Retreat. Honestly, this is one of the BEST ways to find more time to write and run.

We run every morning TOGETHER. Lots of accountability buddies! And every afternoon, there is time scheduled into your day for writing. While you may not be able to achieve this in your day to day life, the retreat is the perfect time and place to get motivated, strengthen (or begin) daily habits, and create real momentum in your writing and running life. Hope to see you there!

Keep writing, keep running.

XO, Christie :)

QUESTION:

What’s one of your priorities? Share in the comments.

Keep writing, keep running.

XO, 

Christie :)

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