What Would I Do If I Did Not Blog?
Posted on August 29, 2011
A crazy thought crossed my mind recently. I wondered what I would do if I didn’t write or blog. I was surprised with some of the ideas I came up with — all of them start with “I would have more time to:”
- Exercise
- Clean my house
- Watch the boob tube
- Play my online games
- Take care of my gardens/yard
- Take my dog for walks
- Visit with neighbors
- Finish all the craft projects I’ve bought
- Read all the books I’ve started
- Sew
- And a whole lot of other things …
One thing I realize, though, is that when something is important to me, I find time to do it. In all honestly, I find time to do all of the above in measured portions, because they are all important to me.
Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S., associate editor at Psych Central, wrote a time-management article based on a book authored by Laura Vanderkam entitled 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think. One of the people highlighted in the book is Theresa Daytner — wife, mother of six (including twins) and owner of a seven-figure revenue business. She’s even helping her 21-year old plan a wedding.
How does she do it all?
According to Daytner, we have time to do everything we want to do … if we learn how to manage our time effectively. We have time to take the kids to school, write so many articles a day, coach Little League, go on dates, work a full-time job, clean the house AND sleep at least 7 hours.
Who would’ve thunk it?!
Daytner firmly believes that time is precious and everything she does in life is a choice. I agree with that, but I think it takes a great amount of acting purposefully. We must be fully conscious of our time and how we use it if we want to do the things that matter most.
One of Daytner’s time management secrets is to hire some things out, so she can have time for family and important events and tasks. That’s my goal — to have enough income to begin hiring out some of my writing jobs, yard work and tasks that are not so pleasant or time-consuming.
I highly recommend reading Tartakovsky’s article and making note of the suggested tips. I am mulling them over this week to see where I can gain more time to do the things that matter to me the most. My favorite is “6. Spend your spare minutes doing joyful activities.”
What is yours?
Writing 4 Effect 
Catherine S Photography & Design
August 29, 2011
I found this post informative and a joy to read. I like #6 myself. I feel taking breaks to do things I find relaxing and enjoyable, inspire my creativity. 🙂
Writing4Effect
August 29, 2011
I couldn’t agree more, my friend — 😉
Erica
August 29, 2011
Well if you ever decide to hire out some of your writing jobs let me know, I’d love to get some more writing experience. I’ll have to check out that article…
Sherry Zander
August 29, 2011
Hi, Erica. I will definitely keep you in mind — thank you for the offer!
Penelope J.
August 30, 2011
Did my long comment go through? If not, I will rewrite it later.
Writing4Effect
September 1, 2011
Pennie! Nope, I don’t see it. Please do rewrite it … sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation!!
Samantha Bangayan
August 31, 2011
I love the idea of “acting purposefully,” Sherry! Theresa is such an inspiration. In fact, lately, I’ve been connecting with a lot of new mothers who are also freelance writers (and many are also marketing professionals and website designers) — it’s absolutely amazing what they can accomplish and it pushes me to fit more into my days!
How refreshing to think that I too can do all that I love to do. In the article you shared, I especially love the idea of creating a list of my 100 dreams. If I keep those at the forefront of my mind, I’ll make sure to do them. It’s similar to the vision board idea you shared with me. Right now, I have my vision board on my desktop and making the time to look at it gives me the strength I need to overcome fears and other roadblocks!
Loved this inspirational post, Sherry! =) Thank you!
Writing4Effect
September 1, 2011
Thank you, Sam, your words are always sooo encouraging. I love the 100-dream idea, too — is that not a cool concept?! Now, to put all that in place … 😉
Penelope J.
September 1, 2011
Wish my previous comment hadn’t got lost because I don’t know if I can repeat it as well but here goes.
This is a question that I am asking myself more and more often. I have a list similar to yours of all the other things I would do if I didn’t blog or would do more of, but more importantly, I would write my own stuff – my books that need rewriting/editing, which I have largely ignored while blogging. Why can’t I do both, you may ask. The answer is, in your words, “measured portions.” But what exactly are “measured portions” and do they give you the right amount of whatever you need or just time to touch on or skim over things.
Tartakowsky sounds like an exceptional woman writing for/about time management for other exceptional women. While I agree with her premise, I can’t fully agree that it works for most people. Most jobs/projects require focus and if you’re focusing on one then you are, perforce, skimming over (what happens more), neglecting, or ignoring some of the others. If you are a heavy blogger (which, despite the time and effort you put into your blog posts, you are not) you are spending multiple hours a day reading and commenting on other people’s blogs, going into links, re-posting, etc. While I don’t consider myself a heavy blogger, I’d say that on average, I spend about 25-30 hours (or more) a week on blog related activities. It may have become an addiction. So I have to make a decision. To “measure” my blogging, which means cutting down on it, using that time to write instead, and reconsider other activities that I also do in “measured” proportions such as social life – almost nonexistent, reading (have cut back more than I’d like) and so on.
When I have a work project and hardly blog for several days, you should see my backlog. No catching up – ever.
Certainly we can do everything we like and have to – for a while. Then reality unfolds or the unexpected happens. I am sure that Wonderwoman is skimming over certain tasks, delegating others, putting off doing others, not realizing that she is doing so many different things that she can’t allocate sufficient time to some things that she would really like to do more.
I used to be one of those women, married to a demanding Latino husband, mother of two small kids, taking them to school, running two homes (city and weekend), a full-time career woman, a gourmet cook who entertained literally dozens every weekend, cooking all the food for the week, with a full, daily social life, tending to a beautiful garden,etc. However, I neglected other areas of my life (writing), occasionally read a book and skimmed over a lot of tasks. Also wore myself into a frazzle in the process. Though I must say that I lived life to its fullest in those years. You get on a kind of roll and it’s also highly addictive. Multi-tasking women are fantastic beings but I also think that multi-tasking takes its toll, personally and on others.
To finalize, what would I do if I didn’t blog? A helluva lot of other things that I’m not doing much of, or very well, right now.
Writing4Effect
September 6, 2011
I think measured portions are a very personal choice and measurement. We each have needs that only we can determine. I have to agree with you that, although it sounds ideal, we can’t really have it all. You have to compromise in life to get what you want the most. This chick juggles well, but I cannot imagine that she did not sacrifice some family time or something she treasured while climbing to the top rung of that seven-figure ladder. She also outsources those things that are not important for her to do and that take up the time for those things that are most important in her life. It looks like it’s all in the calculations.
Giulietta Nardone
September 5, 2011
Hi Sherry,
See my two friends Penelope and Samantha here. I agree that we have enough time to do all sorts of things. Even when I had a full time job, I found time to exercise, paint, write, bike, save old buildings, meet with friends. Most FT jobs have free time in them too.
Thoreau said, “Our life is frittered away by detail.”
Don’t watch TV. Don’t worry about things that won’t happen. Don’t get involved in other folks dramas. Don’t shop for stuff you don’t need. Don’t surf the Internet for more than a set time.
Those alone will clear up most of the day. I get all sorts of ideas for blogs so I look forward to writing them. Will I stop someday? Perhaps. At the moment, if gives me good ideas for essays, etc.
Thx, G.
Writing4Effect
September 6, 2011
Hello, Giulietta, so glad you visited and thank you for sharing. Yes, Pennie and Sam are two of my favorite regulars here at W4E. Wise words you shared and deep thoughts. You’re right. Clear all that “filler” from our schedules and what do we have? Time to do the things that matter THE most!
Penelope J.
September 6, 2011
Sherry,
What fun that several of us are connecting/networking on your blog. Think Samantha has something to do with it as she’s here, there and everywhere. I really enjoy this aspect of blogging, meeting us with friends and commenting on a subject.