An Organised Writer

I recently had a discussion with a friend about organisation and deadlines. We both look at distant deadlines as things that don’t need to get started right away. If you’ve got two months to do it, then that means you don’t have to start yet. After all, two months is a long way off.

As someone who works a day job as well as trying to build my writing career in my free time, it means I usually have deadlines and projects coming at me from all angles, and the mountain of tasks culminates in the result that I usually want to take a big nap rather than start, but maybe procrastination isn’t the only answer. Step in, organisation!

Step One: Stay Calm

I’ve got a bajillion things to do. I don’t know which to start with, so I do little bits of each and nothing seems to get done. Argh! Okay, take a breath. There are only a finite number of workable hours in a day. I need to sleep and eat. I don’t have time to be overwhelmed, so step one is to stay calm. You have to take it one thing at a time, so don’t concentrate on the mountain, focus on the first step. Panicking doesn’t make it easier. It just adds to the stress. Remember: one thing at a time.

Step Two: Absolutely Not

Do you have time to take on anything else? No? Then say that! If you can’t handle anything else, if you don’t have the time, if it’s too much then say no. It’s worse to miss a deadline or a goal because you can’t fit it in than to tell them you can’t do it in the first place. Let them find someone else. Also, if there’s something you can delegate then pass it on to someone who has the time, and if you need help, ask. So focused on their own work, people aren’t always aware that you’re struggling, and if your way of telling them is ranting or crying, (like me) then it might be better to say it outright.

Step Three: What To-Do

To-do lists, baby. Is there anything better than striking an accomplishment off your to-do list? Write down everything you need to do, whether it’s that day, that week, overall, write it down, keep track, and scratch it off when it’s done. Item number one can be 'Write a to-do list' and then you've got your first accomplishment right there.

Step Four: Prioritise

What is the most important? What will take the longest? What needs to be started right away? What has a strict deadline and what is scheduled for whenever you have the time? Look at your to do list and work out which tasks need to be done first. We’re taking it one item at a time so figure out what number one is.

Step Five: Keep a Diary

I’m not asking you to fill in a journal, unless that’s something you want to do, in which case, go ahead. These diary entries are about scheduling your time. Whether you record it in your phone, your computer, your email calendar, or like me, an actual diary. Make sure you’re keeping track of dates, appointments and deadlines.

Step Six: Setting a Goal

What do you want? Where do you want to reach? How are you going to get there? Set yourself a goal and then make a plan. Whether it’s a word count to hit, a date by which to accomplish something, a deadline; whatever you choose, make it realistic. Make sure it’s achievable. There’s nothing more disheartening than realising you’re not going to succeed because you were unrealistic about what you could do.

Step Seven: Organisation not Procrastination

I’m a big fan of being organised. It’s easy to pop along a social media site or to clean the oven, maybe rearrange your desk, or even write a blog post about writing; all with the plan of putting off your current WIP. For example, I am supposed to be tunnelling through a writing slump, but I scheduled in time to write this blog. As soon as it’s complete, though, I’ll be back at work. I plan my time using the methods I’ve already described: To-do lists, diary scheduling, reminders. I track my time. Organisation doesn’t come naturally to me so it’s something I have to work hard at.

Step Eight: Stay on top of things

Try not to let yourself get overwhelmed, and don’t use the method that my friend and I are such fans of: A distant deadline with time to spare. It only takes falling behind on one thing for it to snowball and soon you’re sitting under an avalanche of work about to topple on top of you. Get things done when you can.

These are the tips I use to stay on track, but I want to reiterate step one. Stay calm. I know it’s easier said than done, and if you’re like me - prone to anxiety - when things go wrong then someone telling you to stay calm only makes things worse. The words ‘calm down’ have never made anyone calmer, but if you can go in with a cool, organised head, then maybe you can beat back the stress before it gets its talons in.

Happy organising. I hope these tips have helped you, even if in some small way. Now I’ve got a book to get back to.