If you want to be a Successful Writer, Avoid these 7 Time Wasters
Use these tips to get your time back
When I was younger, I didn’t care so much about this thing we call time. Now many years later, I believe time is one thing we all need but waste it without a second thought.
Time is one thing we all use but can never ever get back.
Do you understand? You go through the day and wonder, what did I do today? You may be working, maybe writing, or even exercising. But you still can’t figure out how the day flew by so fast and you still haven’t accomplished what you really wanted to.
You have 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You ask yourself, where did the time go?
I have been there before but I had to create a routine otherwise I would never get what I wanted done. There are many things in life we consider essential but are they really essential?
This will highlight a few areas. Hopefully, you can find that missing hour that you really needed, especially if you want to write more than what you’re doing now.
The 7 Time Wasters for Writers
I could easily start with one time waster. But there is actually more than one time waster that can creep up on you. These can literally suck that time out of your life.
If you really want to be a successful writer — get your book published, publish more articles every week, or make more money, then you need to find what you are doing with your time. As a writer, you only have so much time and have to create your own schedule.
If you are a freelance writer, then you need to create little mental notes to write your content. If you have a deadline then you need to work with the deadline as best as you can.
But this thing called time keeps disappearing and you can’t figure it out. You’re mad at yourself, but don’t beat yourself up too much. There are a lot of time wasters out there sucking up your time and you may not even realize it.
Social Media can Waste Your Time
I guess we can thank Tom Anderson who created MySpace. MySpace didn’t last too long which was quickly followed up by Mark Zuckerberg who created Facebook. Then along came a few more social media sites.
If you didn’t have social media, what would you be doing now? You may be too young to know and only had social media your entire life. So you really can’t compare it to anything else.
Yes, I guess I am showing my age a little. But social media can suck the time you need to write.
Are you checking Facebook as soon as you wake up in the morning? Or do you check Facebook later in the day?
Do you have to check that notice to see who left you a message or if someone commented on your post?
I use Facebook as an example but there are half a dozen other social media sites you could easily replace this platform with.
This is where valuable time is going if you haven’t written what you need for that day. You might need to put limits on how often or when you check social media. You could literally spend hours on a social media platform.
Sometimes it is tempting but you need the willpower to just say no. Your friend can wait before you respond to them. You can live an hour without checking to see who liked your post.
These little things really do nothing for you if you want to be a serious writer.
Video Games can Waste Your Time
I played video games in college so understand the urge to play and beat Madden at its own game. Now, I rarely play unless I want to play against my son. Other than that, I never touch a video game.
A few friends I know play video games or the games on social media. I remember years ago, people would send me game requests to try. I always denied the request since I didn’t care for it. I had serious things to do.
So if you spend hours playing a video game rather than writing, then maybe you need to make a deal with yourself. You won’t play a video game until you have written for 30 minutes or so. You have to put in the time. You have to trade the time playing video games for the time you could be writing.
TV can Waste Your Time
Before social media, TV was and is still a time waster. You may sit for hours watching the latest TV show or a movie on Netflix. Or maybe you want to check what is out on Hulu since movies are not running at 100% capacity due to the corona virus.
Yes, TV can suck the life out of you as a writer. I’m not saying to ban TV completely but you may need to make your own rules. Sometimes it’s good to catch a movie or two, but you need to make sure writing gets priority.
Writing could pay the bills where TV doesn’t. So you need to get serious and cut the hours you watch TV. Make watching TV a reward after you have already written for the day. That sounds like a plan doesn’t it?
Sports can Waste Your Time
I have some friends who have to watch every second of a game. Don’t get me wrong. I love sports but if I happen to miss a game then it’s not a big deal. I can always check the score on my phone.
I grew up in a sports town. So I know the feeling. You love your home team or another team. You have to know how they’re doing.
But if you want to be a serious writer, you have to give up something. Sports are not playing now but will soon. Be careful not to get sucked in watching a game when you could be writing instead.
Email can Waste Your Time
Do you check your email first thing when you wake up? I won’t lie. I do but it’s not to check any email message. I get inspirational email messages from lists I signed up for and that’s what I check first as I start my day.
Most of your email is for you to buy something or an email someone sent you. These messages can wait. You want to be a serious writer, so you have to check those email messages later in the day.
You need to be serious and get focused. Many email messages can mess up your train of thought or get you distracted and waste more valuable time. Remember, you don’t have time to waste.
Email has to wait even though you really want to see what your friend wrote you. Trust me, they can wait. If it was serious, you probably would have received a call or a text. Whatever they sent you can wait a few hours.
Your Phone can Waste Your Time
So now this brings us to your phone. Most phones today are your phone as well as your mini-computer that you take with you everywhere. You can check social media, check your bank account, get travel direction, and so on. Some people still have the old cell phones which limits the phone from sucking up your time.
If you have a smartphone, you could be on your phone for hours and not really get anything done. With all of the apps, you could play games, surf the internet, check Facebook, and so on. You may need to limit the time you waste playing with your phone.
Your phone is not going to write your next masterpiece unless you actually are writing your next masterpiece with your phone. You can only do one thing so don’t waste it playing with your phone. You really need to sit down and write.
People can Waste Your Time
Don’t get me wrong, I understand people need to be around others or sometimes talk to them for mental support. But you have to know when to keep these discussions or conversations short. You want to be a serious writer and you can’t write if you’re talking to your friend.
Even with the corona virus, you may talk to your friend on the phone every day, but you have to keep these conversations brief. You have to be focused on writing.
Then there will be other times, when some people just like to talk about their issues. This can really distract you and get you off curse as you try to help them solve their issue. If it’s for work, then that’s a different story. But some people just like to give you a recap on their daily issues. You really don’t need that.
Hearing their issues may give you an idea for your story, but some people like to repeat the same issues over and over again. That’s when you need to move on.
You can’t let their issues become your issues. You have a life to live. You want to be a serious writer. You can’t be a psychiatrist helping out your friend when you have an article to write.
You have to limit the time with some people. Some people have a habit of draining you and can put you in the wrong mood.
You can Create Your Own Schedule
These seven distractors can take valuable time away from you. You have to limit these distractors as much as possible.
You have to master your time and not let time own you.
Make some of these distractors rewards for yourself. You have to promise yourself not to touch or make these distractors part of your daily routine. Use these distractors as a reward for yourself if you have finished writing for that day. You have to promise yourself.
It won’t be easy, but you have to look at your personal goal. Your personal goals need to trump these distractors. If you don’t have a writing goal, then you need to create one.
Having a goal can help you focus on where you are now to where you want to go.
If you want to be a top writer, what distractors do you need to take out of your life?
Check out these other articles to help your writing.
Tom Handy is a top Finance, Investment, Bitcoin, and Parenting writer on Medium, and the father of two kids. He retired from the Army and sits on several non-profit boards. You can find him on Twitter @tomhandy1.
