There is not enough time in a day. We’ve heard that expression a thousand times in our lifetime. And we have said it a thousand times ourselves. It’s especially true when we have, what seems like, a thousand obligations and tasks to do each day. We have a day job, we have a family we have to take care of, we have an apartment or a house we have to clean, we commute, we cook, we do laundry, we have projects. And we want to create. Unfortunately, often that’s where we sacrifice – writing, making art, or even taking care of ourselves.

But we also often do things that are not productive and waste our time – scrolling through the Instagram or Facebook for an  hour, binging on TV shows, etc. And I wouldn’t say that it’s always a waste of time. Sometimes we need to do this as a break, as a reset for ourselves. But when it becomes a bad habit and doesn’t allow us to do things that we really want to do, then those things become a negative force in our lives that we have to manage and control.

That’s where 15 MINUTES becomes so important. What are those 15 minutes? They are an easy block of time that anyone can find and use in their day to do things they want to do. This block can take different shapes for different people or even during different periods in one’s life. You have to try those different forms and see what works for you. Here are some suggestions on how to use the 15 MINUTES:

1. Get up 15 minutes earlier a day and write or do art for that extra 15 minutes. You will accomplish something in the beginning of the day that will give you a positive boost for the rest of the day. Even making your bad in the morning will give you a sense of accomplishment, as was noted in the famous “Make Your Bed” speech by Admiral William H. McRaven. Imagine the sense of accomplishment you would feel if you work on something that you really want to work on, like writing or painting. This one is not for everyone. You may not be a morning person or just have too much to do in the morning to begin with. But it’s worth a try and it may surprise you how well it can work.
2. Take 15 minutes during your commute or your lunch hour to write or draw. Then do something fun or restful, like read, eat your lunch or just listen to music and close your eyes while commuting. Fitting both the 15 minutes to create and something fun and restful will make both your commute and your lunch hour more productive and enjoyable at the same time.
3. No matter how tired you are, you can devote 15 minutes of time a day to writing or art making when you come home from work. It’s a short period of time that anyone carve out. You may find that after 15 minutes you don’t want to stop. But even if you do, you have accomplished something towards your goals when you lay down to sleep at the end of the day. You have the knowledge that that no matter how busy or how tired you were, you still managed to do what you set out to for yourself.

I would also suggest putting an alarm or a timer for the 15-minute blocks of time. It helps to stay focused and it’s fun when it rings and you know that you stayed true to those 15 minutes and completed even a small task, like writing a few pages or making a quick drawing.

What time strategies do you use to make sure that you have time to create during your week? Leave me a comment below.

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