Balancing Writing and a Day Job Isn’t Easy, But It’s Worth It.

Do What You Can with What You’ve Got

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I fell in love with the written word as a kid seeking to escape the adults in my life who were often out of control. Books became a refuge where I would slip the bonds of reality for a while. They helped me feel less like the socially awkward introvert that I was.

As a teen, writing became my therapy. I filled volumes of notebooks with words. I wrote poems and short stories to help me make sense of an ever-changing and often confusing world.

For decades, I have started — and stopped — a fledgling writing career many times over. I would jump in, then life got busy. Marriage and kids came along, taking the lion’s share of my time. Later a divorce and the quest to keep things going as a single mom took over.

With each start, I would gain momentum, only to stop, allowing life’s demands to derail my efforts. Now the kids are grown, I’m settling into life with my second (and final) husband, and I’ve got a job I love waking up for every day.

With each passing year, there’s a growing awareness that time is finite. That old familiar call to put word to paper (or screen) beckons again. I began writing at the end of 2022 and I’ve been back writing for a few months now. Part of the process this time around is learning to approach my craft in a different way.

I Changed My Writing Mindset

I used to think of writing as an all-or-nothing proposition. If I couldn’t crank out articles, posts or stories every day, I would beat myself up. I believed I would never be a “real” writer unless I put copious amounts of content out into the world.

That was always the beginning of the end of my writing. I told myself I was a loser because I couldn’t keep pace with other successful writers. Never mind that writing was their only job.

I set an unrealistic standard and I gave up as soon as I fell short of the goal. What I should have been asking myself is how realistic the goal was in the first place.

I still experience FOMO from not publishing daily. What’s different this time around is an awareness that my reality is not the same as that of the full-time writer.

For starters, 8 hours or more a day, 5 days a week on average goes to my day job, leaving 1/3 less of the day for writing. I also prioritize getting enough sleep, because a rested mind is a sharp and creative mind. That’s basically another 8 hours gone from the day.

During the work week I may get about 2 hours a day to focus on writing. When I try to do more than that, it disrupts the delicate balance of work, writing and family. I take advantage of weekends to get most of my writing work done, writing from 6 am to 2 pm most weekends and holidays.

I choose not to get angry or frustrated by my time disadvantage. Instead, I set what I call an “at least” goal:

“I will publish at least 1 article or post a week.”

If I get more work out the door, fantastic. If not, I’m at least keeping pace with what’s realistic based on life’s demands.

This goal-setting mindset creates space and freedom in my life. It gives me time to work on other aspects of my writing. Things like research, writing drafts and taking courses to hone my skills.

The Lesson: People will tell you that you have the same 24 hours in the day as everyone else does.

Technically that’s true.

The problem is this: They don’t consider the specifics of your life situation and the commitments you have to keep. We’re all on our own unique journey.

Let’s be real — your 24 hours isn’t anything like Beyonce’s or Tony Robbin’s 24 hours. There’s no need for time shaming or feeling guilty because you can’t be as productive as they are.

Carve out the time you can for writing, knowing you’re doing what’s best to balance your art with your reality.

How Do You Make Time to Write with a Day Job?

Finding time to write during a 40-hour workweek can be hard. It’s a delicate balance between creativity and practicality. Push yourself too hard and creative thoughts escape your mind like water flowing between your fingers. But you need some structure to get things done. Without a plan, days and weeks can pass in a blur without writing a single word.

Here’s how I make time to write while balancing a full-time job:

Strategy #1: Make the most of days off:

Instead of sleeping late on weekends, I set my alarm and get up early. I have a commitment to write on Saturday and Sunday. My family knows weekends are when I do most of my work and they are generous with my request for time and space.

I also have to be flexible. Family gatherings and events (the stuff of life) often happen on weekends. Sometimes I need to adapt to a change in plans. It’s not good to achieve your writing goals at the cost of ruining your closest relationships in the process.

Strategy #2: Work in Sprints When Time is Limited:

A sprint lets you organize your work into smaller, focused, time-bound chunks.

Some days are busier than others. When the work day is hectic, I may only get 30 minutes or an hour to dedicate to the craft of writing. I used to try to cram way too much into these small segments of free time and the result was always a low-quality mess.

Now, when my weekday plan falls apart, I break my work into one or two 30-minute sprint segments. Focus is the key to a productive sprint.

I use sprints to research a new topic, edit a draft, optimize a headline, or start a new article draft. It’s pretty amazing what you can get done with 30 minutes of ruthless focus.

Here’s 3 keys to effective sprinting:

1. Have only one focus item for each sprint session
2. Set a timer, silence notifications and put your phone out of your line of sight
3. Ditch perfection; Just start and keep going the full 30 minutes

Strategy #3: Look for Inspiration Where You Are:

Inspiration is like lightning; you never know where it will strike. Be ready to capture inspiration when the muse appears.

When I don’t have my laptop handy, I use the Otter app for voice recording on the go. I also have Microsoft Word on my phone for long form writing. For short bursts of inspiration, I’ll even text ideas to myself. If you like to kick it old-school, keep a notebook and pen handy for jotting down ideas.

Strategy #4: Know What “Good Enough” Looks Like:

Perfection is the enemy of productivity. When you’ve got limited time to create, it helps to know when to stop perfecting.

There is a diminishing return on your effort after you’ve invested a certain amount of time. It’s easy to get sucked down a rabbit hole looking for one more resource or squeezing in one more round of editing before hitting the publish button.

The quality of your work is important. But much of your work will never see the light of day if you get too wrapped up chasing perfection. Know what “good enough” looks like, hit publish and walk away.

Why I Keep Coming Back to Writing:

Writing while working full-time isn’t easy. But there’s something fulfilling about putting thoughts into words. Writing and enjoying other writers’ work connects me to something bigger than myself. It’s about community.

I love the feeling of satisfaction that comes with hitting the publish button. I am content in knowing despite the challenge of limited time, I’m still able to create and share my work.

It’s why what I write is still meaningful whether I publish 1 piece or 10 pieces in a given week.

Are you a writer balancing the demands of a full-time job and your craft? How do you make time to balance writing and your day job?