Like a lot of people, I’ve been busy lately. Projects are piling up, kids have things that they want (or need) to do, deadlines gets get closer, things get busier and, of course, I got sick.
It never really seems to fail, especially when there’s things that I’d rather be doing. Personal projects that get ignored, walks I’d like to take, people I should have contacted a long time ago and, of course, I’m not getting any healthier.
It can get hairy. And, with that, comes a fair bit of stress, regardless of how laid back your approach to life may be.
I’m not complaining, though. I’m actually quite happy to be busy. In fact, if there’s an upside to being busy, it’s that it forces me to start segmenting my time out better.
I’m not usually the world’s most organized person, I mean, I have my moments, but I’m usually just running around trying to remember my to do list and, more often than not, forgetting things as I go.
When I get busy, though, I get organized. It may get hectic for a month or so, but once things settled in something that more closely resembles a routine, I find it easier to see where there’s room to squeeze things in.
It’s something I’ve done for years, especially when I was younger and trying to combine work and school with writing as much as I possibly could in my free time.
Back when I was in university, I carried a notebook with me everywhere — I still do. That book was my, “I’ve got 15 minutes until class starts, so I’ll just sit here and write” book.
Those stolen moments helped me finish a novel in my final year of university. It was a piece of advice that I’d picked up from Stephen King in his book, “On Writing” and it served me well.
Back then I dreamed about things like Palm Pilots or other little computers that I could use to make the writing process more efficient, but as a fairly broke student, all I had was my trusty pen and paper.
These days, it doesn’t matter whether you’re an artist, a writer or a composer it’s never been easier to take advantage of those moments.
With my phone, a device that is infinitely better than anything I could have dreamed of in university, I’m never more than a few seconds away from anything I’m working on.
Being able to open up the same document that I’d been working on from my computer while I’m out and about and have a few minutes to wait for something is like a dream come true.
I’m still not as productive as I want to be, but I don’t have the same access to excuses that I used to. Things slowly get done, though. That’s all that matters.
What do you do during times like this? Do you have a way to sneak in your project during little stolen moments? Send me an email. I’d love to hear how others get creative during busy periods.
Douglas Paton is a Summerland writer and musician. If you know of a local arts and culture event, contact him at dgpaton80@gmail.com.