Like so many of us, I find myself constantly juggling and always trying to squeeze yet more precious time out of each day. It’s a common malaise nowadays, when we are all working longer hours with heavier workloads and we find the work/life balance completely out of kilter.
For me, between a VERY full-time job, a hectic career with all the usual and unusual stresses and workloads that that entails, writing my second novel, writing other projects and short stories, promoting and marketing my first novel (White Mountain, published 30th September this year), doing my artwork and a busy home life…I find that manic juggling game increasingly more difficult.
With so many balls flying through the air, how do we keep going without dropping the odd one?
For some, it becomes a daily routine of list writing. Charting out each event that needs attending to and prioritising the most important. I must admit, that despite my fierce loathing of anything too organised and too routine, as I’ve always loved ‘flying by the seat of my pants’ so to speak (for me spontaneity IS life), even I have had to grudgingly adopt this formalised structure. I’m sure for those fortunate few to be ‘ladies or gents of leisure’, the choices in life are perhaps easier, but for the rest of us workers, you HAVE to list and prioritise your life to some extent, if you are to prevent those balls from crashing all over the place!
My advice? If writing IS your life…give yourself time to do it! MAKE time to do it…even if that’s at 2 in the morning!
KEEP WRITING!
To that point, I work during the day but am a night owl and DO ensure that I write everyday, whether it’s a section of narrative, some scribbled plot ideas or some poetry.
So, amidst all my frantic juggling, despite my considerable absence of late and the very sporadic blogging from my initial, ‘Daily Hello’ intentions, my little blog has now passed the 3,000 hits mark!
Wow and wow!
I am genuinely amazed and very touched. A HUGE shout out to all my friends, supporters and family who have been utterly amazing in their kindness and support, and who have kept me laughing and inspired in equal measure! I owe you all a great debt.
THANK YOU!
😀
Sophie E Tallis - Author/Illustrator 
Congrats!!! That is so brilliant, but then so is your blog, I always look forward to reading what you write you always have something wonderful to say. Please keep it up and thank you! 😀
I am wildly blushing! Thank you, Lindsey, you really are so sweet and kind. You always make me want to give you a huge hug! 😀
Huge thanks in return, honey…really really appreciated! xx
Sophie, have you not actually thought that we all read your blog because it is so well written?
If not, it is time that you did. AND you promised another installment of your NZ adventure…
Lol! Alright Mr Will. That is very kind of you…but you know me, an optimist with a pesimist edge. I’m just always surprised and thrilled when good things happen!
Yes, will definitely carry on with the NZ travelogue, afterall the adventure hadn’t ended! But there may be a bit of a pause before the next installment…back to that juggling thing again. 😀 xx
The image of juggling sums it up well. Make time to write … I only seriously committed to this after half a life-time. And only because fate took away a community projects I juggled and devoted a great deal of energy to. I still occasionally feel guilty to indulge in ME time :).
Keep going Sophie, writing is a kind of devotion, like a prayer, and your posts are a delight.
Thank you, Ashen, as always your support and kind words are really appreciated!
Yes, with so much going on in life, it does get very difficult to set aside time to write and you’re dead on, it feels wrong to indulge in ‘me time’ amidst the chaos of home and work life. That’s probably why I work so late, not only the quiet with no interruptions, but you don’t feel guilty while others are asleep…! 🙂
Thanks honey!
well done, Sophie, just like we knew you could! :]
Thank you, Kim. Yes, I’m thrilled with how well it’s doing! Cheers honey! 😀