Winning the Publications Game - 4th Edition (2016)

Making time
Know yourself 19
How are you going to find time? Writing will always use
more of this scarce commodity than you expect. We all
share the set quota of 24 hours a day; what distinguishes
us from each other is how we decide to fill these hours.
This will inevitably mean that something must go.
You may find it less painful if you can keep writing
tasks to a set time each week. This will help you to get
into a routine. Many successful writers manage to do
without some of their sleep, and get up, say, at five in
the morning. You might find this too drastic, but you
could go without a favourite television programme or
put aside a couple of hours a week on a Sunday evening.
Don’t feel you have to allocate huge chunks of time.
Fifteen minutes a day, 6 days a week will help you to
make steady progress; it should also help you to maintain
your enthusiasm.
Some people say they will find time when they need
to. This is not a recommended option, mainly because
there is an easier way.
Setting objectives
Now that you know what you need to write, and how
you will find the necessary time, all that remains is to
spend a little time deciding what you have to do to get
there. These twin tasks will be your objectives.
Do not confuse objectives with vague ambitions.
Most people, when asked to suggest their writing objectives,
come up with enormous tasks such as: