Schedule your writing time

When you schedule your writing time it means that you’re taking a position about what matters to you.

We all have a tendency to try and ‘clear the decks’ before starting the important work (see also, deciding on the important work). The idea is that we’ll get all the little things (email, instant messages, scheduling meetings, and so on) out of the way and then we’ll have time to focus on the good stuff. But whenever I’ve tried to take this approach, I almost never end up with the time I imagined I’d have. And even if I do, it’s at the end of the day when I’m mentally tired.

Start your day by making progress on the important, high-value work that is cognitively demanding. Don’t wait until you feel inspired; Faulker reminds us that a writing schedule will lead to this anyway.

I only write when inspiration strikes. Fortunately, it strikes at nine every morning.

William Faulkner

When you start your day by protecting space in your schedule for the work that matters, you’re making a claim about the kind of academic you are.

• If you use the time for writing, then you’re saying to yourself that you’re a writer.
• If you use the time for reading, you’re taking the position that reading is important.
• If you spend that time on email (which is also fine, if it’s a deliberate choice), you’re telling everyone that email is your focus.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t finish the task (although this might depend on the type of task). What matters is that you schedule your writing time and start your day by casting a vote for the work that’s important to you.