Guarding Your Peace as a Writer

I find myself often thinking about guarding my peace.  Turns out, I can be a bit prone to worry and anxiety. I know I’m not alone in that.  Right?

I recently collaborated on a visual devotional titled Messages from God: An Illuminated Devotional with my friend Kathleen Margaret Schwab. She provided the text from her prayer journals and I provided the photography.  The very first devotional Kathleen shares in the book is all about guarding your peace!

At a time of year when there is so much clamoring for our attention, guarding your peace can be truly difficult.  But, how does this apply to writing? I have extracted phrases from Kathleen’s piece as topics to address in terms of guarding your peace of mind as a writer.

(Side note:  Do you know how difficult it is to have the words  ‘piece and peace’ in the same piece and keep your peace while you try to spell each correctly every time?!?!)

Step 1: Discipline and Peace Go Together

Make Writing a Habit

I have found routines give me a lot of peace of mind.  If I discipline myself to do each thing as it needs to be done, I get less overwhelmed.  It’s not always easy as I struggle with fatigue and chronic illness, but I find when I let things build up, it only gets worse.

So, I try to write something every day.  I set a timer for 10, 15, or 35 minutes and I focus in and write.  I try to aim for 35 minutes each day, but if I can’t get that, I will at least sit for 10 minutes.  Most often, I do this on my computer, but there are times that my day is too chaotic, or my eyes are tired, or my brain is feeling a bit frazzled. On those days I often refuse to turn on my computer.  That’s when I might do a bit of research and take notes, do some reading, or spend time brainstorming ideas. But the discipline of knowing I’ve done at least something related to my writing that day gives me the peace of mind that I’m pursuing my dreams and making progress, even if it’s slow.

Learn New Skills

Invest some discipline to learn some new skills.  As you hone your skills, you will become better and more efficient with the tasks at hand and you will feel less frustration with yourself about how long it’s taking you to do something or figure it out.  Too hard to learn that new skill? Consider delegating the task to someone else.

Don’t stall.

If something needs to get done, do it.  Just make that phone call, update that annoying part of your website, research that tool, find those files.  Maybe it’s a task you hate, but once it’s done, phew! It’s done and you don’t need to have it niggling you in the back of your head.

Kim Steadman recently blogged about celebrating.  Finishing an unpleasant task is definitely worth celebrating!  Have that prized piece of chocolate or that special cup of tea once you’ve knocked it off the list. Everyone struggles with completing unpleasant tasks but if you can add a bit of fun and joy to it, then I say, bring it on!

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

1 Corinthians 9:25 “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.  They do it to get a crown that will not last, be we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.”

Step 2: Work and Rest Go Together

It’s important to have a rhythm of work and rest.  As Kathleen states, “In order to work effectively, you need to have restful time, when your mind isn’t buzzing with details.” Having adequate rest allows one to be more mindful and attentive to the work that you do engage in.  Kim Steadman recently wrote a post about the importance of Sabbath Rest.

I invite you to settle in with a cup of hot tea, get your journal, and allow yourself this time to dive into her piece and the scriptures. Learn to guard your peace as a writer dear one. The enemy would love nothing more than for you to NOT write your words….

“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing, so on the seventh day rested from all his work.” Genesis 2:2

Sabbath rest can look different to different people, but if God rested, and we were created in His image, then we should rest too!  He knows we get tired!

Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Pomodoro Method

I first heard about the Pomodoro method from writing coach Shelley Hitz.  She is a guru of efficiency when writing. The pomodoro method is a time management system developed by Francesco Cirillo.  It uses a timer to break work down into 30-minute sessions separated by 5 minute breaks.   Kim has a great video all about the Pomodoro method over on YouTube.

Taking Naps 

As a person with a chronic illness, I am all about the naps.  I used to suffer some guilt over napping but God taught me that it was an important part of my self-care and was needed to refresh myself both mentally and physically.  I often turned it into a time of prayer. I even wrote a blog post about it: Napping to the Glory of God.  If you deal with guilt about your need to nap, I encourage you to go read it!

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Exodus 33:14 “And He said, My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Psalm 3:5 “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.”

Psalm 23:2-3 “He makes me lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”

I often resented my need for rest.  When I was at my sickest, not only did I nap up to three hours each day, I also required at least nine to ten hours of sleep each night to be functional.  I no longer need naps daily, nor do they have to be so long when I do require one, but I do still need my 9 hours each night. That can really bug a person when you have things you want to get done.  Even people who sleep only 6 hours a night complain that there aren’t enough hours in the day! So imagine delegating 3+ more.

Once again, God reassured me that it was OK to take care of myself.  Basically, “He’s got this.”

Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Matthew 6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?”

This Scripture especially spoke to me… being the slightly anxious type and all.

Psalm 127:1-2 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved.”

Step 3: One Day’s Work at a Time

Staying in the now can be so very difficult.  I try. I really do, but now and then…  I’m sure that never happens to you, right?

So, what’s a writer to do?  Put on your shark suit and attack the day ahead!

Decide Your Three MITs

What are the three most important tasks that you need to get done?  Make sure those get done first… starting with the most unpleasant. If you do the most unpleasant first, you won’t be filled with dread all day knowing it’s ahead, you’ll have knocked it off first thing and can celebrate that victory!

Eliminate 

What doesn’t really need to get done – either today, for a short time, or ever?  Go ahead and cross it off your list. You will be more productive doing the ‘one’ that does need to get done.  Also consider eliminating social media and email checking from certain portions of each day.

And never be afraid of the magic word – NO!

Automate & Delegate

Look for ways you can automate whatever you can! Can you create canned responses to certain emails?  Can you create certain scripts that you use over and over? There’s a program called IFTT that many people rave about but I haven’t tried yet.  IFTT stands for If This Then That and helps your devices to work together to automate certain things. You can also try things like Hootsuite to create one post that publishes to multiple social media outlets at the same time.

Create templates and scripts for as many things as possible.  Why oh, why would you want to reinvent the wheel all the time?  Be kinder to yourself!

And for what you can’t automate, try to delegate what you might not be good at.  You can trade tasks with a friend, have your family help, or even hire someone!

Scheduling

Schedule those tasks.  If you discover something needs to be done, put it in your calendar or bullet journal with a time for it to be accomplished.  No more mental space taken up with it haunting your mind.

Batching 

Perform related tasks together.  This is another technique I learned from writing coach, Shelley Hitz.  Delegate a 1/2 hour to make your phone-calls and schedule appointments.  Spend an hour replying to important emails. Schedule an hour one day per week to prep and schedule all of your social media. (Remember Hootsuite?)  You get the idea.  You will spend less time task-switching and improve your focus and productivity.  Also, you have all your tools and resources ready for the type of task you are engaged in.

Pre-prep 

Set out your clothes and resources for the next day and review your calendar.  Every night I set out my clothes, put my quiet time resources out on the kitchen table, and decide which writing task will get my block of time.  I also pack my bag to take to work with whatever lunch-time project I need to do or errands I need to run.

Step 4: Give Your Full Attention to the Task

Turn Off Your Phone. 

This one is a bit tough for me since my aging Dad lives alone.  But I discovered the Do Not Disturb feature on my phone and how to make exceptions.  My one exception? My Dad. He also has a distinctive ring, so I can ignore my phone if I’m in the middle of something without worrying that it’s him calling me to tell me he needs my help.

I also seriously dislike my phone beeping and buzzing and notifying me of everything in the world.  Seriously, turn off as many of those things as you can! Check your phone once an hour if you need to and return any calls that are urgent.

Ditch the Sticky Notes

Try to remove sticky notes from your computer.  This is a hard one for me. I’m a very visual person and often rely on visual reminders.  But, being a visual person, I also tend to get easily distracted by things I can see. My exception is a Scripture or two.  Otherwise, I try to put all my reminders in my bullet journal.

Other Methods to Concentrate on Tasks

Other methods to reduce distractions include:

• Turn off the internet or use a site blocker. The one I use is StayFocused.
• Set a timer.
• Put in ear plugs.
• Shut the door–if you have one.
• Play some focus music.  Here is one of my favorites.
• Be prepared with all the tools you need before you begin.
• Have a clear goal of what you wish to accomplish in the chunk of time you have.
• Keep it simple. Cut the frills!

Proverbs 4:25 “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.”

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.”

Step 5: Let the World Take Care of Itself for a While

This is part of giving your full attention to the task.  While you are focused and working, let the world take care of itself.  Let the phone go to voicemail, let your partner prepare dinner, let your kids play or do their homework.

In a way, you are not that important.  The world will not fall apart if you take an hour for yourself either to work or to engage in self-care.

Psalm 55:22 “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you: he will never let the righteous be shaken.”

Philippians 4:6-7 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

Matthew 11:28-30 “Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will give rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Step 6: Guard Your Peace of Mind

True confession time.  My absolute favorite quote from Kathleen’s piece is the following:

“If you let every babbling idea into the house, soon you can’t work for the racket.”

This is where my loudest racket tends to be!  I have learned to keep a pen and paper by my side at all times (when writing, cooking, reading, having my quiet time…)  My ideas don’t knock. They are rather rude. They just tend to intrude in the middle of other things. My way of telling them “Welcome!  Have a seat, I’ll be there in a minute (or 10)” is to write them down on the paper I have beside me. I even keep a notebook in my car, in my desk drawer, next to my bed, and in my purse.  And, please, do not peek at the Notes app on my phone. You would have to put on earplugs. Talk about a racket!

I read a lot about simplicity and about the importance of choosing a single project on which to focus.  It’s a huge struggle of mine to pick one thing and I often fail, but I find that when I do focus on a single project, I actually get a whole lot more accomplished.

Jessica Abel writes extensively about choosing a single project over on her blog.  I highly recommend her book “Growing Gills: How to Find Your Creative Focus When You’re Drowning in Your Daily Life.”

Be true to yourself.  If something isn’t right in your life, do what you can to fix it, as soon as possible.  Not every babbling idea that passes through your head belongs in your life. And just because you happened to let it in your life, doesn’t mean that it needs to stay there!

Ask God to give you a peace which passes all understanding.  He’s a specialist at peace!

Accept that failure WILL happen at times no matter what and it’s part of being human and part of the learning process.  Give yourself grace.

Surround yourself with people who build you up not tear you down.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Galatians 5:26 “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise-worthy – think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 ”and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Proverbs 4:23 ”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Finally, Remember God Is Your Helper.

You aren’t in this alone.  You probably write because you feel God gave you a message to share with the world.  He is with you and remembering that will bring you more peace than any of the methods I’ve discussed so far!

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear: I will help you.”

Proverbs 3:21-24 “Do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.  Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

True confession time. My absolute favorite quote from Kathleen’s piece is the following:

“If you let every babbling idea into the house, soon you can’t work for the racket.”

This is where my loudest racket tends to be!  I have learned to keep a pen and paper by my side at all times (when writing, cooking, reading, having my quiet time…)  My ideas don’t knock. They are rather rude. They just tend to intrude in the middle of other things. My way of telling them “Welcome!  Have a seat, I’ll be there in a minute (or 10)” is to write them down on the paper I have beside me. I even keep a notebook in my car, in my desk drawer, next to my bed, and in my purse.  And, please, do not peek at the Notes app on my phone. You would have to put on earplugs. Talk about a racket!

I read a lot about simplicity and about the importance of choosing a single project on which to focus.  It’s a huge struggle of mine to pick one thing and I often fail. But, I find that when I do focus on a single project, I actually get a whole lot more accomplished.

Jessica Abel writes extensively about choosing a single project over on her blog.  I highly recommend her book “Growing Gills: How to Find Your Creative Focus When You’re Drowning in Your Daily Life.”

Be true to yourself.  If something isn’t right in your life, do what you can to fix it, as soon as possible.  Not every babbling idea that passes through your head belongs in your life. And just because you happened to let it in your life, doesn’t mean that it needs to stay there!

• Ask God to give you a peace which passes all understanding.  He’s a specialist at peace!
• Accept that failure WILL happen at times no matter what and it’s part of being human and part of the learning process.  Give yourself grace.
• Surround yourself with people who build you up not tear you down.
• Stop comparing yourself to others.

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Galatians 5:26 “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Philippians 4:8-9 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praise-worthy – think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 ”and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.”

Proverbs 4:23 ”Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”

Finally, Remember God Is Your Helper.

You aren’t in this alone.  You probably write because you feel God gave you a message to share with the world.  He is with you and remembering that will bring you more peace than any of the methods I’ve discussed so far!

Encouragement From The Scriptures

Isaiah 41:13 “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear: I will help you.”

Proverbs 3:21-24 “Do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.  Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

(This was originally a guest post on WriteMoreWriteNow.com hosted by Kim Steadman.  She has discontinued that blog and now has her site at http://kimsteadman.com/  I encourage you to swing by and see her wonderful work with writers!)