Time Management is Not the Answer to Writing More, But This Is...

So often (usually too often) we hear the phrase 'Time Management' which is said to be the be-all and end-all answer to our lack of productivity. And we all agree that it is.

But then you wake up every day with a whole list of all the amazing things you're going to do, yet find yourself spending time on other things instead, and you wonder why.

It's not a management of time that's the issue. It's time.

What I mean by that is, you need to give yourself time to get things done. Stop wasting your time being "busy" and instead spend time on the things you need to do. It sounds simple, doesn't it? So why do we never do it?

I've been looking at this for quite a while now, and what I've found is that there's an easy solution. 

Turn off your screen.

That's it.

I don't know about you, but when I waste time it's always wasted online. And I've noticed that it's the same with almost everyone.

I see people walking down the street while staring at their phones and not even looking where they're going. 

Parents ignore their children because they're more interested in their phones. 

People in cafes look busy on their computers, but they're only scrolling on social media.

People wake up in the morning and immediately reach for their phones. 

And don't get me started on time wasted playing computer games.  

Screen time is a really sad addiction, especially if you're a writer who opens their computer, gets distracted online, and so never writes.

But you might ask, how can you get off your screen if you do your writing on your computer?

Get a writing computer. Use it only for writing. Nothing else. No internet on it ever. No apps except a writing app.

I've always had a separate writing computer, and because I don't use it online, I have to transfer my files to my main computer using a thumb drive, which also provides me with an extra backup of my work. I've never connected my writing computer to the internet, so I'm never tempted to go online while I'm using it.

I also have a Kindle Scribe that I use for handwriting because it has handwriting recognition to convert all my writing to text. I write everything by hand first. The Scribe only has basic internet for downloading ebooks and emailing my files to myself, so I can't use it to go online (unless it's to go to the Kindle website to buy a new ebook).

I usually (hand) write for a minimum of 2 hours a day (of actual writing, not doing other editing or admin work), and during that time I stay off my screens unless it's my Scribe. My writing computer is only for typing up my work because, as I said, I almost always write by hand first.

Limited screen time is a HUGE time saver, and it's so simple. And it works every time.

Give it a go.

Life-Changing Ideas

"If a competent CEO got to run your life for a day, what is the first thing they would eliminate?" 

This was a question posed by author James Clear in a recent email.

I didn't have to think about it too hard.

Time wasting.

If someone was looking over my shoulder for a day, they'd see how much time I waste, even though I swear I'm a hard-working, productive person.

Every day I spend far too much time checking emails. I always tell myself I won't spend more than 20 minutes, then next thing I know it's 45 minutes later and I still haven't finished.

Then there's surfing the web. I go online to look up one thing and end up clicking and going down one rabbit hole after another.

Chatting to people when I see them can often be another time-waster. Sometimes I'm only on the front veranda for a short coffee break, and neighbours will stop by to say hi, or their dogs will bark when they see me so I HAVE to go and pat them, and that starts a conversation with their owners. But if I had a competent CEO with me, he wouldn't allow me to waste so much time, even if it's a cute dog wanting my attention (because how can anyone resist a cute dog, right?).

Seriously though, not only do I know that I waste too much time, I also know what the solution is. 

I need to stick to my daily schedule and not let myself be sidetracked so easily. 

I know how long things take to do, so I need to get them done. If it's in my diary to be done, then I should do it and take my coffee breaks inside where neighbours and dogs can't see me. It's very friendly where I live.

A timer is always my best friend because I work better when I'm working against the clock and my time is limited.

I know how much I'm capable of doing when I stick to my schedule every day, and to be honest, it's not even really that hard.

It's never a good feeling to get to the end of the day and regret all the things I haven't done.

Which is why I'm now hard at work writing my next book, and I've already planned the next one too. I need to keep my imaginary CEO cracking the proverbial whip every day because it works.

Which is how I wrote this blog post in only 15 minutes.

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/15.html

My Latest Writing Updates (That means 3)

 I recently posted about my new novel, Magenta, which is the third and final book in my Campfire Stories Series, and will be available to buy from 1st October 2026, but you can preorder it now.

The good news is that I already have preorders for this novel, which is really exciting news (for me).

Have you ever read a book that is so good that you can't stop reading? This is what Magenta is about. It's about a woman who is so engrossed in reading a novel that it becomes harder and harder for her to get out of the story and get back to real life. Until she can't get out and finds herself trapped in a nightmare.

My other latest news is the opposite of publishing a new book.

I've withdrawn from sale my Monthly Challenge Writing Series. The reason is that the information is now somewhat outdated in parts, so I thought it best not to sell them anymore. It pained me to take four books off sale, but it had to be done.

But the good news is that I have two new books about writing that will be published soon.

So as you can see, I've been extremely busy behind the scenes, and I've had an interesting time writing and making publishing (and unpublishing) plans.

I've also learned that in future I need to produce books that are "greener," meaning their contents will be useful and entertaining for years.

Which is exactly what my new writing books are, and I can't wait to share them with you soon.

In the meantime, Magenta is my latest novel.

You can read more about it at:

https://cheritonhousepublishing.com/books/magenta.html

The Brilliantly Simple 2-Hour Schedule That Actually Works

There's a book I love by Dorothea Brande called 'Wake Up and Live.' It's an old book (and still available to buy from just 99 cents for the ebook) and was first published in 1936, but the advice it contains is still relevant today. It's a really popular book.

Wake Up and Live is all about being productive and achieving everything we want in life. One chapter (naturally) is about discipline, where she talks about her idea of using a 2-hour schedule to get more done.

At first this may seem too easy to be useful. But while it is easy, it also works like a charm.

The idea is simple. Decide what you're going to do for the next 2 hours and do it. This doesn't mean doing only one thing. It means being productive for 2 hours.

So for instance, your morning 2 hours might be-

6.00 to 6.30 am-shower, dress, bed made.

6.30 to 7.10 am Breakfast and Dishes

7.10 to 7.30 am Emails

7.30 to 8.00 am Set timer and write. 

The crucial thing isn't what you do during those 2 hours, but that you stick to each individual task for the designated time, no matter what. She advocates short, unbreakable daily appointments with yourself rather than massive time blocks.

It's the dedication to discipline that's important, and to maintain those time blocks as non-negotiable. So if you plan to check emails for 20 minutes then clean the bathroom for 20 minutes, stop checking emails after 20 minutes and go clean the bathroom. This will help you learn to stick to a schedule no matter how small it is. You'll also discover how long it takes you to complete each task while instilling discipline to get more done.

Before I tried the 2-hour schedule I had no idea how undisciplined I was and how easily I was distracted by unimportant things. 

I use the same 2-hour schedule for my writing using a timer for scheduled breaks every 25 minutes. And it's amazing how much I can write in just 2 hours when I work this way. Knowing that I only have 25 minutes to write in each block stops me from being distracted because I don't have time, and so I have to keep going whether I feel like it or not.

The 2-hour schedule is something that you have to try for yourself to see how powerful it is.

Wake Up and Live!
By Dorothea Brande
This book will help you reach your goals and achieve success
https://amzn.to/3gs6WU4