Finding a Work-Life Balance With Writing: What’s the Right Way to Write?

Writing has always been my dream. I think most aspiring writers can agree with me, that I’m getting to live out my dream. All I ever wanted was to write, and now I’m finally doing it. However, there has to be a balance. Like any other job, work-life balance is so important. As much as writing is my dream, it’s also work, and I need to remember that! We all have family, friends, and lives that we can’t neglect to write. I have realized when I’m allotting a healthy amount of time to writing, and letting myself really live life, my writing is so much better! Our minds need to rest, and that rest can bring a new level of creativity. 

Planning a Writing Schedule 

So, we can say we’re going to create a work-life balance all we want, but if you’re anything like me, once you start writing, it’s hard to stop. The best thing for me has been creating a writing schedule. This helps me prioritize writing but also makes my family a priority as well. The writing schedule doesn’t just help when I need to stop writing. It also helps me set goals that make me continue to write even when I’m in a slump or feel too busy to write. 

Even setting a small goal of 500 words a day, can make sure you are both balancing your work and making sure you are writing every day. Your work schedule can change, based on where you are in your life, or what you need to prioritize at the time. But whatever you decide, making and maintaining that work schedule is so important to having a healthy relationship with writing. 

Making Time for Life Experiences

We’ve talked about this a little bit before, but one of the benefits of having a writing schedule is the opportunity you’ll have to schedule your life experiences. Travel is one of the best inspirations to use for your writing, but travel doesn’t happen if you’re not creating that work-life balance that allows for it. If we’re constantly worried about deadlines, or taking on too much writing on our plates, we could miss out on the travel experiences that could inspire the next great novel. Even the mundane tasks of life are important to our work. If I’m not investing time into the things I love like my family, my dogs, and my friends, I start to notice I’m less motivated to work. We have to allow ourselves to do the things we love. One of my other great loves is the outdoors, and hiking with my family. If I’m not setting aside time for that, I’m missing out on crucial time I need to recharge. 

Keeping Balance Creates Better Writing 

I can’t stress enough the importance of balance. Creating a good story takes so much imagination, time, and love on the writer’s part. When I think about the time I poured into writing From Friends to Forever, I realize that story took so much of my time, not only when I was actually working on it, but also during my downtime. I was constantly thinking about my characters, my plot points, and which direction I wanted the story to go the next time I was sitting down to write. Getting out and doing things with my family,got my mind out of the story, and helped me have the chance I needed to rest and recharge my brain. Without that balance, and sticking to the writing schedule I set, I don’t know if From Friends to Forever would have become the great love story it turned out to be. Now, more than ever, I believe the balance of a good schedule, and enjoying life experiences away from my work is so important to being a good writer. 

Conclusion

I love being able to live out my dream of being a writer. Writing stories is one of my greatest joys in life, but I wouldn’t be a good writer if it wasn’t for the life I’ve lived and the things I’ve experienced. I can’t constantly write now, and forget the things that made me into the writer I am. Setting my writing schedule, and setting aside time for the people and things that I love, are why I have been able to write. 

For any writer, whether they’ve been writing for decades or they’re just trying to find their footing in the writing world, the best advice I can give is to find the balance. I had no idea how great of a writer I could be until I made the switch to prioritize making time for my life and for my work. If you don’t know where to start or writing feels overwhelming, even just 500 words a day and keeping that schedule can change your relationship with your writing, and your love for your work.