Author, Speaker, and Humorist

“Nutty with a Dash of Meat” Jeanette Levellie here with some tips to help  you Shock the Clock and gain more writing time:

1. Delight yourself in the Lord 

Put God first and He will collaborate with you to help you meet your goals.

2. Do away with fear

Progress in baby steps, and ask friends cover you in prayer with each new venture.

3. De-clutter and de-junk

Managing clutter is a huge time-eater. Give yourself permission to throw or give away.  Enlist a friend’s help to de-junque.

4. Discipline your flesh

“No” is not a four-letter word. Say it with grace and dignity to activities and people that drain you or bring out the worst in you.

5. Divide writing and marketing time

If no one knows you, your writing lacks an audience. If you don’t write, your audience will go elsewhere. Start with a 50/50 split, then adjust as your platform grows.

6. Delegate

Enlist family members for researching, cooking, running errands and cleaning. Consider hiring help or trading a writing or editing job for housework or cooking.

7. Decide what’s important

Ask God to direct your steps and to help you focus on your strengths. What do you most enjoy doing?

8. Dance and sing—take time to play

Recreation means “to impart fresh life to; to create anew.” It’s okay to do nothing for an hour or a day. You’re more productive when you take regular times of rest.

9. Double up

Combine two jobs you can accomplish at the same time, one which requires no brain power, such as waiting at the dr.’s office and outlining an article or book chapter.

10. Diagram your plan

Develop a written mission statement and reasonable, measurable goals. Determine what God and you want from your writing: a few published articles, books galore, changed lives, or all of the above.

The above is an excerpt from my book Shock the Clock: Time Management for Writers and Other Creatives, which not only includes time-

saving ideas based on your unique personality style but tips from

writing pros like Cecil Murphey, Bob Hostettler, and Jody Hedlund.