Essential Lessons Gleaned From Writing This Publication
In the world of writing and business, effective time management is crucial for maintaining productivity and reducing stress. Here are some key strategies that can help writers manage their time more efficiently:
Start with Planning
Allocate time to organise your writing and business tasks, estimate how long each will take, build realistic timelines, and schedule your projects. This helps foresee risks and balance workloads.
Prioritise Tasks
Use frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important) or the MoSCoW method (must-have, should-have, could-have) to decide what to focus on first. Prioritisation should be dynamic and aligned with your goals and deadlines.
Leverage Tools
Use project management and scheduling apps like Trello, Asana, or Calendly to keep all your projects and meetings organized in one place. Tools help track progress, manage multiple schedules, reduce time spent on logistics, and block distractions.
Create a Unified View
Combining all projects into one dashboard or platform enhances visibility, so you can see what needs attention and avoid duplication or conflicts between tasks.
Apply the 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)
Focus on the 20% of tasks that will yield 80% of your results, optimising your effort and output.
Schedule Breaks and Self-Care
Pause intentionally to avoid burnout, especially when balancing creative work with business management.
Communicate Transparently
When workload becomes excessive, have honest conversations about what can be postponed or delegated.
By integrating these strategies—structured planning, effective prioritisation, use of digital tools, and maintaining visibility over all commitments—writers can navigate the complexity of multiple ventures with greater control and efficiency.
A Lesson Learned
A laptop designer, whose laptop was once dumped on the floor due to the bag's design, causing a brief power outage, learned a valuable lesson about the importance of backing up files to avoid losing work. The designer, who also wrote a novel titled "Catgirl Roommate", reminds readers to back up their files to avoid feeling like an idiot if their computer crashes.
"Catgirl Roommate": A Funny Cat Story
The novel is about characters who are humans with the ears, tail, and mind of cats. The author, Stephanie O'Brien, recommends the novel for readers who enjoy funny cat stories and want to laugh. She even managed to find time to edit the novel by multitasking during activities like flossing and brushing teeth.
The author uses the example of a broken arm to illustrate the point that one can find time for important matters. If you can find time to heal a broken arm, you can certainly find time for important activities.
So, whether you're a writer juggling multiple businesses or simply trying to manage your time more effectively, remember to plan, prioritise, use tools, and communicate openly. And above all, don't forget to back up your files!
[1] Farnam Street: Time Management: The Ultimate Guide (2021) [2] Lifehacker: The Best Time Management Strategies for Busy People (2019) [3] Forbes: Time Management Strategies for Entrepreneurs (2020) [4] Harvard Business Review: The 80/20 Principle (2007) [5] Mind Tools: The Eisenhower Matrix (2021)
- Incorporating the 80/20 Rule and effective time management strategies can significantly improve a writer's productivity, especially when combined with the use of home-and-garden planning techniques, such as scheduling breaks and self-care for overall well-being.
- To optimize creativity and productivity, writers may also benefit from applying time management strategies from lifestyle and home-and-garden literature, emulating the laptop designer who successfully managed to write a novel titled "Catgirl Roommate" by multitasking during daily activities.
