pen_on_fire.jpg One of the first exercises in Barbara DeMarco-Barrett’s Pen On Fire: a busy woman’s guide to igniting the writer withing is to search your schedule to find pockets of time for writing.  The idea is to reorganize your other commitments to find time for what is important for you.

Women, in particular, need encouragement to find time for themselves.  Too often we put our children, husband, home, or employer ahead of our dreams.

So, how do we find the time for that which is important to us?

When I gave birth, I lost all control of my life.

Suddenly, these incredibly needy time-suckers took up whatever time was left to me.  Over time they became less dependent, and I was able to reintroduce reading into my life.  Really, I don’t know how I survived those months without reading.  I am addicted to reading and I can’t relax without a daily reading session.  I can’t go through the week without checking the newspapers to find out what is going on in our world.

More recently, I’ve been reintroducing writing into my life but it’s not as easy as finding time for reading.  Perhaps it’s that I have lots of practice reading in every situation.  Since I was a kid, I’ve found time to read late at night, on the toilet, while walking home from school, on any kind of moving vehicle - anywhere and everywhere. 

Finding time to write is much harder because I’m not always as productive as I would like.  If I’m too tired, or stressed, I find it difficult to focus on my writing.  I can ignore everything to read, but it’s much harder to achieve the serenity for writing.  It’s difficult to find productive time for writing, but it’s not impossible. 

First, I have to assert that writing is a priority in my life, and in my family’s life. 

Through constant multitasking, I can find pockets of time for some writing.  However, to find the longer periods of writing and reflection necessary to produce this blog and other works, I have to ask for my family’s support.

Now, many women find it difficult to ask for what they need, but I’ve never been afraid to ask.  And, my family is supportive.  My husband helps with groceries and cooking, and everyone is helping with the daily chores.  Some days, the house is a mess and dinner is a bowl of cereal or a can of spaghettios.  It isn’t always ideal.

Our home life isn’t ideal, but it’s good enough.

Most important, we support each other so that we each have the opportunity to follow our dreams. Isn’t that what family is all about?  We all want the best for those we love.  Helping each other to achieve our dreams is just one aspect of family love.