An authors thoughts on Time Management!

by Casia Pickering

Time management, well, to make this simple, time management sucks ass. It does. And I suck at time management. That said, it makes juggling life an exciting roller coaster of a ride. 

I recently juggled my first full-time job (I used to work part-time and was predominantly a house-mom), going through the legal uphill of a divorce, being a mom, and writing. That means setting aside my writing. I set myself tiny writing goals and try to meet those, but I am nowhere near where I want to be.

In my ideal time management writer life, I wouldn’t have the legal stuff. Instead, I would be charging toward a full-time author deal. I already know that juggling the Bug, my son, and writing wouldn’t be an issue. If anything, the dude would be a nuisance making sure I get my writing done. 

Juggling my time with him and writing isn’t a chore. Bug makes it his job to ask me if I’m writing. He likes to tell everyone in his school that his mother is an author, he likes having my stories on his bookshelf, and he is already planning out my merch store. No, I don’t have merch. He wants that to happen. I know I’m spoiled by this kid.

If you are a writer and a parent, but finding it hard to juggle the time for both, try to include your child in what you’re doing. Tell them they get to kick your butt if you don’t write. One time, Bug forbade me Oreos until I had a set number written. I still haven’t had an Oreo. Is he evil? Quite possibly, but he is my son, and I encouraged this method of accountability. 

Ultimately, don’t beat yourself up. Choose what is more important, do those things first, and if you have time to do the less important- there you go. For me, Bug is the top priority. Therefore, for right now, it is the legal stuff and full-time work that have to be the head of the train with writing being in the caboose. Bug is my conductor, and he’s doing a great job at it.

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