A new regular feature by Anna Lidstone
Want to nurture your creative health, but don’t have time?
If your creative projects are getting neglected in the busy-ness of everyday life, a time audit can help you prioritize.
For one week, write down everything you do in the day. Include the little things: 10 minutes waiting for the bus, 15 minutes buying lunch, 20 minutes catching up on Facebook.
Then, look for “dead time” – time spent doing things that aren’t high priorities for you – that you could spend on your creative projects.
Could you write your next poem instead of reading the junk mail, paint instead of watching The Simpsons, or work on your scrapbook while you’re waiting for those computer downloads? Do you love your regular three-hour Sunday brunch, or would a quick coffee be just as good?
Could you go to bed later or get up earlier, or bring food from home to give you back your lunch hours? Can you make use of the minutes you spend waiting while your elderly aunt puts on her shoes and feeds the cat?
What you find will be unique to you, but you may be surprised to discover what’s possible once you start looking.