Don’t Wish For Five More Minutes. Live. #IWSG #amwriting
[I wrote this post as a member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group where we share our worries and also offer support and encouragement to each other on the first Wednesday of every month. If you’re a writer like me and you’re looking for a bit of support, you can click the link and sign up here]
This month’s awesome Co-Hosts: Dolorah @ Book Lover, Christopher D. Votey, Tanya Miranda, andChemist Ken!
Check out our IWSG homepage. And as always, thank you to founder Alex J. Cavaugh 🙂
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How many times have you thought to yourself, if I only had thirty more minutes, ten, even five I could do amazing things.
Then I saw a great quote yesterday. It shifted my thoughts to this statement:
Because I didn’t have one more minute, I actually accomplished xyz. Things like folding all the laundry, or getting to work on time, or reading a story with my child I didn’t think I had time to do. So maybe the moment wasn’t about writing, but the moment was about life. Life is what happens in writing, when we have the moment to write.
This month’s IWSG question asks, “How do major life events affect your writing? Has writing ever helped you through something?”
Life will always compete with my writing goals. I juggle multiple roles and am still learning the writing craft. I squeeze writing into the small moments. Reading too. It’s all I can do, but I do in fact make at least 5 minutes of my time about my passion. And yes, writing has been a fantastic escape when life seems too heavy. When the real job gets to be too much. When a moment in time seems so helpless, I can in fact control the world in my head, my characters, and their fates rest in my contrived thoughts.
So maybe you don’t have another five minutes. That’s okay. You’ll find them. Maybe the next day you’ll find twenty minutes. In any case, here are a couple of last thoughts ….
You don’t quit after you get beat. You pick yourself up, and you start rebuilding to accomplish your goals.
~Daniel Cormier
It’s our challenges and obstacles that give us layers of depth and make us interesting. Are they fun when they happen? No. But they are what make us unique. And that’s what I know for sure… I think.
~Ellen DeGeneres
Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solves each problem as they came to it. They helped themselves. And they were helped through powers known and unknown to them at the time they set out on their voyage. They keep going regardless of the obstacles they met. W. Clement Stone
Posted on October 3, 2018, in Uncategorized and tagged Cloud Nine Girl, Erika Beebe, life, more time, more writing, passion and dreams, Writing. Bookmark the permalink. 44 Comments.
Cloud Nine Girl 
Great quotes 🙂 And yes: sometimes we just have to live. Happy IWSG day!
Ronel visiting on Insecure Writer’s Support Group day: Course Correction
Thank you Ronel 🙂
Life is happy, sad, rigorous, amazing…etc… We all have to live day to day and life has a way of pushing our writing to the side, but eventually hope to accomplish it. I like what you said about your characters. “writing has been a fantastic escape when life seems too heavy. When the real job gets to be too much. When a moment in time seems so helpless, I can in fact control the world in my head, my characters, and their fates rest in my contrived thoughts.”
So true for me too! Love the quotes.
Thank you for stopping in and providing me such lovely feedback. I truly appreciate it 🙂
Everyone gets the same amount of time each day. I used to worry about carving out writing time. Now I live my life with my family and the writing still happens!
It’s so funny how that happens. When we are younger we can’t see it but as we grow and our roles add up, we still find the time to do 🙂
I find the busier I am, the more I get done. I don’t have time for one more thing? Just keep plowing forward and I get it done.
Except the writing. LOL I need to start putting me first more often.
Yes you do! I find I get more energy for everything else when I do 🙂
Inspiring, energizing!
Thank you Louise 🙂
Great post. It really is all about living; the time you need will find its way to you. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for stopping in today Toi. Now if I can keep my emotions in check with this thought I will be in business 😉
The busiest people are the most productive people, eh? I’m with you there. I know I’m accomplishing more than I ever have before, yet it’s easy to look around and wonder how long it’s been since the window shades were dusted or clothing ironed. We should really count our accomplishments rather than tallying what still needs doing. =)
Five minutes. I’ll make it happen.
I believe it 🙂
This brings to mind a project my 5th-grade daughter had to do, a poster. Being a perfectionist, she set off to make it, well, perfect. But there was a deadline. She didn’t have forever, she had until Friday. That was the first time she learned about doing the best you can in a limited time–in your case, 5 minutes or 10 or 15. It’s a lesson I adopted in teaching, to remind students that they had a deadline and their best would be good enough.
I love that Jacqui. I love Teaching time management to young ones and to be happy with what their outcomes are 🙂
“Because I didn’t have one more minute, I actually accomplished xyz.” I love this. I was listening to something on the radio a few months back, and I’m probably going to get this wrong, but it was about how at some point, the time you’re spending on an activity (I think the example they gave was choosing which television to buy) should finish so you can get on with other activities. Kind of what you’re saying in a way, I think. It resounded with me, at any rate.
Thank you Raimey. I appreciate you stopping in today and yes, live in the moment and get it done so you can move on to something you do actually want to do 🙂
Great attitude and approach to managing your time. We can only use the time we have available, and once it has passed, you can’t get it back. Oh, how I wish I could.
Me too. Thank you for stopping in today 🙂
Writing is a fantastic escape from the problems of life. Much of my writing comes in these little 5 or 10 minutes spurts. It’s all I have sometimes, so I make do. Sounds like you have your life under control, even if it doesn’t feel like that sometimes.
I appreciate that Ken. I have had to come to terms with focusing on what is actually in my power and try to get better at letting go of what is not 🙂
Time management can be a blessing. Looks like you’re a master. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
That’s quite a compliment Anna 🙂
Being a writer is about finding the time…whenever you can! It’s important to remember to live, too. Great post!
Thank you Megan. I appreciate you stopping in today 🙂
A good reminder. I do find I write more when I have less time.
Thank you Lynda 🙂
No matter how we spend our time or how much we fret about it, the time will still pass. So why beat ourselves up about it? We do what we can when we can, and like you say, if we can only squeeze in five minutes every now and then for writing, sobeit. Priorities will change and eventually, you can allocate more time for writing. Those younguns will be grown before you know it.
Thank you Susan. I just love being there for them 🙂
Great quotes, Erika. I think if you really want to do something, you always find the time. It’s all about priorities.
That’s very true Olga. I appreciate you stopping by 🙂
I don’t think about having more time but about time slipping away, through my fingers like sand. Great post gave me some thoughts to ponder. Happy IWSG Day.
I so much appreciate you stopping in today 🙂
Sometimes it feels as if I am playing King of the Hill: no matter how fast I spin, something attacks me from behind! We said goodbye to Crystal Collier today for lack of time, and it hurts. But her family comes first. Had to drop by and say DON’T YOU LEAVE! 🙂
I am so sad about not being about to drop into her blogs anymore, but yes, I admire her more for her choice. Thank you Roland. I won’t be going anywhere. I do have my own schedule for now, and it does work 🙂
Yes, Erika, I find writing the same way. It’s like a window I can climb through and go somewhere else! Love the quotes, too 🙂
I appreciate you stopping in Yvette 🙂
You always have such inspiring posts! The Confucius one made me think. Sometimes it seems easier to get rid of a goat, rather than trying to figure out another way to achieve it.
Taking advantage of small chunks of time can add up. I used to carry a notebook to my kids’ football practices and write story outlines. I still have many of them and pull stories and ideas out to turn into books to this day.
I bet you have so many brilliant stories yet to write Elizabeth 🙂
“Everyone who achieves success in a great venture, solves each problem as they came to it.They helped themselves. And they were helped through powers known and unknown to them at the time they set out on their voyage. They keep going regardless of the obstacles they met.” Quite often we look at other authors who seem to have it all – but they also faced challenges along the way and solved each problem as they came to it. Every writer faces challenges. It’s how we manage/deal with them that counts.
Love the quotes, Erika! 😊
I love your insight Michelle. I love the quote very much and thank you for the positive boost 🙂