Because of a health issue this year (fixed recently by surgery), my energy has been at an all-time low for months.

During 2012, I slowed down–a lot. My writing time seemed to disappear daily down a black hole. I had multiple projects outlined–but little written.

Mostly because of exhaustion, I’ve picked up some bad time (mis)management habits. Now that I feel better, I know I need to get control of my writing hours back.

It Isn’t Easy!

How do you get back on a writing schedule when life has derailed you for months? The answer is simple, although not necessarily easy.

You stop making default choices just because you’re out of the habit of thinking through your actions and consequences. And you stop letting others make “time choices” for you.

In short, you budget your time.

Time is Like Money: a Limited Resource

Think of time (a resource that isn’t unlimited) like your income (which is likely not unlimited either).

Most of us learned how to budget years ago, when first leaving home. We discovered that we didn’t have nearly enough money to do or buy all the things we wished we had. If you were lucky enough to grow up before credit cards, or you had parents like mine who taught you that you didn’t buy things until you had the money saved up, then budgeting comes naturally. It might never be fun, but you can do it.

Depending on your values and priorities, you will spend your income in a certain order. At our house, our tithes and offerings come out first. This is followed immediately by those things we don’t want to forfeit: a roof over our heads (mortgage), food on the table, electricity and water, etc. (And books!)

Only after the money is budgeted for necessities do we decide what to do with the discretionary money. That includes the “wants” we have that aren’t “needs,” like eating out, going to movies, and taking trips.

Money is limited, so we budget. We understand that. But time is limited too. And if you don’t budget time along the same principles (non-negotiable spending and discretionary spending), you won’t have time to write.

The Writing Time Budget: How-To

First, you must decide what is most important in your time allotment. If you have a day job or small children to care for, those are certainly non-negotiables. Look at your calendar and a detailed day planner of some kind (even a spreadsheet will work). Mark all those hours in your week and month that are NOT spoken for by things truly outside your control.

If you have other major commitments, the time you get to budget for writing may not be huge, but that’s okay. Mark all time that would be free to write if you chose to: evenings or weekend hours available, nap times, commute times, while the family sleeps, etc. Those hours are what you get to budget.

My family comes before my writing, so some of my hours go to babysitting grandkids (some weekly, others less often). Some time goes to my husband, some to my church, some to my neighborhood. I have gone overboard a bit in the past and had to cut back some, but they still come first.

Second, even though this sounds like it will ruin your time budget, you need to set aside time IN YOUR CALENDAR for yourself. I didn’t do this for years, but no one is indestructible. No one. And recovering from severe burnout can take months–many more hours than if you had taken care of yourself in the first place. Know your own limits. No two people are alike.

Know your own personality. If you’re an introvert like me, and need lots of solitude to recoup your energy, be sure you get it. And be sure to set aside some time right after particularly stressful seasons and events.

Know your best time of the day to write. Don’t bend to everyone else’s whims, then end up having no time to write except at 10 p.m. when you’re a morning person who can’t think clearly after 3 p.m.

Third, budget what is left for your writing. Mark those hours as “commitments.” Write it in your calendar and day planner at least four weeks (preferably six weeks) ahead. That’s about how far out people call and ask you to Tupperware parties and other events you may want to skip.

Then when someone calls to invite you to do lunch or shop or needs to talk, you can check your calendar and truthfully say you have a commitment at that hour–then suggest another more convenient hour. There are very few true emergencies that require you to give up your best writing hour of the day.

Budget Today!

Remember: time is not an unlimited resource, although I have been acting like it this past year. It’s finite, and it goes by quickly.

It might not seem as serious as a money budget–I mean, you won’t end up out on the street starving if you watch TV instead of write. But you will get to the end of your writing year and be no closer to attaining your writing dreams.

I decided that’s not what I want this year–and there’s still enough of 2012 to do something about it! I hope you’ll join me.