I’m currently in the middle of moving and exactly a week today I begin my travels for my much-awaited Disney Baltic Sea Cruise.  Boxing up all my stuff, moving it into my new apartment, and prepping for Europe in two weeks?  Plus working a full time job that’s fairly demanding?  However am I supposed to write?

Before I list out some ideas on how to sneak in a few words despite a busy schedule, I do have to admit that sometimes I do “writing activities” that aren’t actually writing but make me feel like I’m being productive.  I’ll touch base with fellow writers on Scribophile and do some critiques of other writer’s works there.  I’ll hash out some ideas with friends while we’re hanging out or via email.  And I’ll complain about writing to my boyfriend even though I’m not actually writing (that’s productive, right?).  Even 15 minutes of critiquing someone else’s work on Scribophile helps me earn points (or “karma” as it’s called on Scribophile) which allows me to later post my work for critiquing.  So ultimately it’s still about my work.

Anyway, without further ado, here are a few of my personal tips for getting some words written despite a crazily busy schedule.

(1) Utilize that lunch break.  Get an hour for lunch?  That’s an hour you can be writing.  Or even thirty minutes you can be writing.  Or, heck, fifteen minutes.  Whatever you can squeeze in.  I pack my lunch every day and once the noon bell rings I eat at my desk and pull up my manuscript.  My productivity level varies, but I will tell you that I was averaging 1000 – 3000 words on my lunch break during NaNoWriMo.  Not too shabby.  Bonus points?  Your boss might assume you’re working.

(2.) Skip the TV watching.  I know, I know, it’s great to just get home from a long day at work and mindlessly watch some TV.  My guilty pleasure is The Bachelor (not afraid to admit it).  But the Bachelor is only on Monday nights (starting next week yay!) so what’s my excuse for the rest of the nights?  Instead of watching an hour of mindless TV, limit yourself.  Don’t Netflix binge.  Watch one episode or even a half of an episode.  Or write during commercial breaks.

(3.) The Self-Control App.  Have you ever found yourself without wifi connectivity on your laptop and discovered that you’re actually way more productive without the interwebs at your fingertips?  The Self-Control App works the same way, while allowing you to use Spotify or Pandora, which are websites I use for some inspiring music while writing.  I had a roommate during law school who used this app when she was studying for tests or finals, and I used it daily while studying for the Bar Exam.  It’s helpful not only in that it blocks out your distractions (which you can set yourself to create the ultimate distraction-free setup) but also, for me, acts as a timer and lets me know when I can take a break.  For example, during my study sessions for the Bar Exam, I set the Self-Control App at 2 hours.  I would study nonstop for those 2 hours and as soon as the time was up and my web applications were unlocked, I took a fifteen minute break to check my email and browse through social media and what have you.  It works that way for writing, too—only got an hour to write?  Set that Self-Control app up for an hour to keep yourself on schedule.

(4.) Leave your house.  Guys, I cannot tell you how many times leaving my house has increased my productivity levels.  When I’m home, all of a sudden I’m looking for any excuse to do anything other than write.  Oh, does the whole house need to be clean?  I’ll start cleaning.  Oh, there’s the TV glaring at me.  I’ll just watch one show.  Just one.  Etc. etc. etc.  When I’m home, there are distractions all around me.  Family members, boyfriends, roommates, etc. etc. etc.  I know this list is full of tips on how to write when you’re insanely busy and it’s hard to find time to leave the house, but if you have an hour free, it’s an easy way to practically ensure you won’t spend that hour watching TV or cleaning out the fridge (that can always be done later, trust me).  Plus, if I’ve gone to Starbucks, or Panera, or Barnes & Noble’s café (my personal favorite but their internet is always sluggish), that means I’ve spent some money on some drink.  I don’t want to feel like I’ve not only wasted my time but also wasted money.  So it’s an extra incentive to get to work.

(5.) Reward yourself.  I don’t actually do this, but I’ve heard it said time and time again that if you know you’ll get a reward, you’re more than likely to want to earn that reward.  Set up a reward system.  Maybe you treat yourself to a writing session at Starbucks after you’ve written a certain amount of words where you’ll get that venti iced chai tea latte with soy (my go-to).  Making goals and rewarding yourself isn’t just about the rewards—it’s also about the goals.  Just setting up a list of goals in and of itself helps you see your project big-picture and see where you need to go.  Write it out.  Then you can see how far you have to go but also see your progress.  And progress is rewarding in itself, am I right?

And there you have it.  My tips to being productive and getting some writing done even when you’re insanely busy.  I will make a confession though: other than the writing on my lunch break thing, I haven’t been utilizing any of these tips.  But making this list helped remind me that it’s important to be productive, and while it’s hard to start now with a vacation looming over my head, I can’t wait to get a fresh start in June!

Happy writing!