Balancing Life And Writing by Bob Jones

  

Photo by Loic Leray on Unsplash

“Life balance is more about intentional imbalance.”

Brian Moran

Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.

James Clear’s principle in Atomic Habits is like a neon directional sign pointing the way to wholeness.

I wanted to become a writer, and fortunately good advice came my way a quarter century ago. It was simply this:

Writers write.
So, write something every day.
It doesn’t have to be long or profound.
It doesn’t even have to be just right.
It does mean to just write.

Consistency rules.

Everyday I vote for writing.

Writing made me a writer and allowed me to live my life away from the keyboard.

Intentional Imbalance

So, every day, and usually at the start of the day, I write.

There have been seasons in writing a book that it was essential to invest long hours in segments everyday to complete the book on time. But those were short seasons.

Compared to the whole of my day, my writing time is way of out equalized balance with my other activities. I have a full time job at age 72. However, that is where Brian Moran’s quote comes into play. To balance life and writing is to live an intentional imbalance.

I must admit that I have to put a governor on my writing time because I love to write. How about you? I can get lost in writing, especially on Saturdays and realize 2-3 hours have gone by before I know it.

Energy Management

I’ve also learned that what is most profitable to manage is energy, not time. There are lots of books about time management but what created a breakthrough for me was an introduction to energy management.

Do what creates the most important results when you have the highest amount of energy.

I used to run first thing every morning and then work into the late afternoon. But my peak, creative energy is when I wake up. So, now I run or walk after 4:00 pm and start creating at 6:30 am.

Thank you for making time to read and if you will, comment.

Flexibility and Grace by Lorrie Orr

 

The famous lines of times and seasons in Ecclesiastes 3 tell us that “to everything there is a season.” How do you balance life and writing in the seasons of life? We all have lives that require physical presence away from the keyboard. What have you found helpful in maintaining balance? 

 

photo by Lorrie Orr

I get up early, dress quietly and close the door softly so as not to wake my husband. I go downstairs to make a cup of tea, then climb the same stairs up to my studio. A neat stack of pages sits on my desk, the growing height an indication of the words typed and printed yesterday and the days before. Moments of meditation and prayer are followed by a productive hour or two of writing before I eat breakfast with my husband. I clean up the kitchen and do a few chores before returning to my desk to deal with correspondence, business items, and perhaps some editing.

Oh, if only. It's fun to dream about an ideal writing life, but that's all it is, a dream. In my real life, there is a garden to tend to, grandchildren to entertain, shopping and cooking that must be done, and a plethora of other tasks and delights to distract me from writing. And that’s okay. I like my varied life.

Writers throughout the ages have faced the challenge of their writing lives. In his article The Daily Routines of 12 Famous Writers, James Clear writes of authors who get up early, of others who rent hotel rooms for writing, and others who spend their days teaching and write in slivers of time. The key takeaway for me is that every writer has an individual approach to balancing life and writing. It may take time to discover the balance, and it’s likely to shift throughout life.

Flexibility is a key word for me. When I am engrossed in a project, I find it easy to dedicate more time to it, and I do get up early to work in the hush of early morning. This is easier now that it’s just the two of us at home. When my children were younger, I would use the time they were at school to write my articles or write while they were doing their homework. I fit my writing around the daily routines of meals and teaching. I don't determine to write every day. I try to write four days in a week, usually in the morning, but not always. 

Sometimes I must be intentional about my writing. It’s easy to get out of the habit of sitting down to write regularly and much more difficult to get back into a routine. There, too, however, flexibility comes into play. It’s okay to take time off when life presents challenges or other opportunities. As a teacher, I’ve always found sticking to a schedule in the summer almost impossible. Now that I’m retired, I give myself permission to take summers off.

Grace is another key word when it comes to balancing life and writing. Or life and anything! I can become quite negative about myself when I let things slip and I fail to meet the goals I’ve established. I am learning to give myself grace and to rest in the loving presence of God who loves me whether I write a single word or not. And I realize that sometimes God has other things for me to do.

Some days writing takes the form of words added to the Notes feature on my phone, or capturing a few thoughts on paper while I’m in the kitchen preparing food. These are small steps, but each step forward brings me closer to my writing goals.

The writer of Ecclesiastes also wrote these words: 

“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding

it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled 

with rare and beautiful treasures.” 

(Proverbs 24:3-4) 

As I build my life and my body of work, I want to be wise, and am so thankful that God generously gives his wisdom to me, and to anyone who asks him.

Lorrie Orr writes from Vancouver Island.

Her first book, Life is Short but Wide, a memoir of 21 years

in Ecuador, was recently published.

More of her writing can be found at

Substack

her slice of life blog