I’ve got a very specific routine to my writing day now – one that I thought people might be interested in.
I’ve mentioned in the past that music is really important to me – and up until last week, my morning started with my portable alarm clock (aka my phone) which I would listen to until I went down stairs, then music would go back on at exactly 8am, when the youngest went outside to wait for her taxi.
But the last week, at 8am, I’ve taken the chance to come upstairs with a cup of tea, and I’ve crucially left music off.
So, I write my task list and contemplate my day in silence. It’s nice because the bedroom/office I’m in is in full sunlight most of the morning, and into the afternoon when I finish up working for the day (if I’m not coming back to work later) so I’m getting plenty of light where I sit, and there is a tree near the window, so even now, as the weather is turning chilly (and man, it’s chilly this morning compared to the last week), I’ve got birdsong.
From there, I social network. Twitter and Facebook need constant feeding, and I think I put in 750 words there on their own. I’m still trying to find my stride with G+.
And after that, I start work proper. Usually about 8:45, but today, as Steve Jobs died (don’t come to this blog for breaking news, I’m always waaaaay behind the curve), I’m not starting until nearly 10am. With a full docket and email to troubleshoot as it’s randomly stripping attachments, I’m still melancholy. I guess it puts life into perspective when someone that achieved so much goes – not even because he was ‘young’ by today’s standards. Steve Jobs would have been missed whether we were talking about him dying today or in 20,30, 40 years time. That kind of impact will never be lost, even to history. And that’s some legacy to leave.
What I do know is that while I’ve been a PC person most of my life (due to expense rather than preference), my first ever laptop was a Mac. from my adopted brother – I bought it from him and wrote on it for nearly a year, until we moved south and it died. In that time, I even replaced the screen. I wouldn’t DARE try that on my PC 😉
Kai is a writer, author and avid reader. A mental health advocate, Ludosport athlete and coder. She’s the mother of two young adults, owned by two cats, and lives with her beloved in the Cotswolds.
The older I get, the more I realize how routine helps my productivity. I like the idea of linking music to the start of the “working” day (ie once the kids go off to school).