What time is it? Or better yet, where did the time go?
Thank you, Romance Books 4 Us for sharing your blog with me. My name is Mary Martinez, I write romantic suspense, romance, women’s fiction, and have ventured out for one book of young adult. The YA I wrote with my three oldest grandsons. I live in Magna Utah, a little town about ten miles west of Salt Lake City. I love being in a small town but close the city. I love to read, write, and travel. I wish I didn’t have to have a day job but, alas, I do.
I’m going to discuss, or cry about the age old problem of Time Management. This is something that I’m good at in my day job and just a complete moron at home for my writing. How can this be? I had a month off from the day job and I had plans. Each day I had set a side at least an hour for promotion and two or three hours for writing.
My husband had some unexpected health issues which took a few days out of my plan. So minus three days top out of the 21 days I have had off, so far. Do I have anything to show for the promotion and/or two/three hours of writing? No, I have one week left and pretty much nothing to show for the last three weeks. Looking back over my time off the only excuse is my husband’s health. But where did the rest of the time go?
What I want to know is this… At my day job I look at my week on Monday morning and prioritize my tasks that need to be done. And yes, each day things come up and every morning of the week I adjust accordingly. At the end of the week 99% of the time, I have checked off all of my list and can leave Friday evening with a feeling of accomplishment. Why can’t I do this at home?
Have I tried the week’s list on Monday? Yes, and I do mark some off and yet by the end of the week my average is maybe 25% of what I had planned to accomplish that I actually did.
Why? What is the difference? Is it the outside forces at home, family and friends that I do not have to deal with at work? Is it because I’m more disciplined at work than I am at home? I have been seriously writing since 2002, I have tried everything I can think of, yet I do great during the day at my day job and fall short at home.
Any words of wisdom for me?
My latest book is the 5th book of the Beckett Series: Profit: Utopia the Conclusion.
Matt Beckett is the Chief Financial officer for World Banking Association (WBA). Over a year ago an agency known as the HEAD group tried to take over the WBA. Matt's sister, Reagan Beckett, a member of a Federal Special Task Force took out one of the key players, a serial killer known as the Headman. Now the founder of HEAD, Andrew Phillips, is back and ready to finish what he'd started with a new and dastardly key player from the Dark web.
Matt doesn’t have any desire to be involved in any cloak and dagger stuff. He’d rather leave that to the other law enforcement Beckett’s. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like he'll have a choice.
Bryn Connelly is the Chief Audit Executive also for the WBA. She had been one of the Headman's targets and thought her days of danger were over. However, she finds herself working with laid back Matt Beckett, much to her dismay.
Matt couldn’t be more delighted when Reagan informs him he'll be working the lovely Bryn. He’s been trying to catch her eye for five years, now. However, their sleuthing quickly lands them in a precarious position.
It’s up to Matt and Bryn to finish what Reagan and her team started, but can he win the lovely Bryn and save the day? Or will he lose her forever if the WBA falls into the wrong hands?
Thank you, again, for having me today!
Buy Link Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XP4SS17
Web site: http://www.marymartinez.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marylmartinez
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlmartinez3/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/marylmartinez3/
Mary’s Garden Blog: http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/
The After Work Cook: http://theafterworkcook.blogspot.com/
9 comments:
Hi Mary, Welcome to RB4U. I do feel that there are many more outside forces at work with writing. We can get sucked into the world of social media or research. We also have additional phone calls and family members who want our time. I do admire that you take such care to create a list and check your time management. You're more focused than I am.
I wish you all the best with your book. Love the cover!
Love the cover of your book. Sounds like a good read. I wish I knew the answer to time management. I,too, was much more disciplined when I worked. I have a hard time managing my time now that I've retired. I need to spend more time writing, yet I'm pulled in so many directions: promotions, social media, household chores. I wish you luck in figuring out how to manage your writing time.
Words of Wisdom. Time Management only works when you have complete control of your time. In the office, if one plans for contingencies, you do (more or less). At home it seems that the interruptions and unscheduled demands of the family take priority and totally mess up the plan. My husband says I need to learn to say "No!". I don't think I'll ever learn that lesson.
Melissa, I just wished it went further than to create a list though! I do get sucked into research. I love it and I go off on tangents.
Cara, You're right social media is a drain. But when I don't do it, my work isn't noticed. It's a necessary evil. And don't even get me started on household shores!
Thank you for dropping by!
Mary
Welcome, Mary!
Time management continues to bedevil me! The only time I seem to get for uninterrupted writing is if I start at 4am. I have no idea why this is my witching hour, maybe it has something to do with the fact that everyone else is asleep:) Good luck with your latest book, it sounds intriguing.
Hi, Mary! Just so happy to see you at RB4U today. Many hugs.
Hi R. Ann, I will most likely never learn to say "no" either. Right now I'm trying to figure our a way to say no to some friends who think they'd be helping me with a little extra money for doing their promotion for their businesses. That would talk up some of my writing time and I do not need the extra money. But I don't want to lose a friendship over it! Hopefully I'll figure out a way.
Paris, I used to write in the middle of the night when my kids were still at home. Now I lay there and think, I should get up and write while the idea is with me. Instead I think I'll do it in the morning and I don't.
Hi Vicki, thanks for dropping by!
Mary
Three D's are needed over come the big R. Discipline, Determination and Dedication will help you override Resistance. Your methods are there, they just need a boost.
Happy to see you here, Mary!
Stanalei,
Always the voice of reason. Now if I could just implement your words of wisdom!
Three D's this sounds like a good postit for my computer.
Thanks,
Mary
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