A friend recently asked me: “What does a typical day/week look like for you? How do you organize your time? Have you developed a writing routine, or does it just fit into “flex time?”
Important context: I am still working full-time, albeit from home during this pandemic. Our children are grown and gone, so it is just me, my beloved wife, and our dog. Therefore, I have some time and energy privileges that others do not. My specific gifts are teaching and encouraging. I have strengths in absorbing and synthesizing diverse information, and communicating.
I usually wake up about 4:00am without an alarm. Early morning is my most productive time. I use the time before starting my “job” to read 10 chapters from the Bible, sit quietly with my journal and listen, deep reading on a book, write, stretch out, shower and get dressed. This is also the time window when I’m getting ready to teach at church – usually a focused Bible time and meditative prayer asking what specifically this group of people needs to hear from the Word this Sunday.
These days I start work about 6:30am. I get a few things done until about 7am when it is time to walk with Watson, our dog – usually at least 20-30 minutes, often 40 minutes. About half the time I’ll listen to a podcast (I like long-form interviews and discussions) and the rest of the time I’m intentionally praying and listening and working out problems in my head.
My “job” hours are roughly 6:30 am to 5ish PM most days. I’m frequently on Zoom calls and do a considerable amount of writing in my role as a manager. I work hard to be efficient and manage my energy rather than my time. The key to success for my rhythms “at work” are taking many mini-breaks during the day. Two minutes for a few pushups and sit-ups or walk out outside to get a few breaths of fresh air. Ten minutes for reading breaks. Five minutes to jot a few notes about future writing projects or doodle an idea. Five minutes for intercession for people on my prayer list. Look up industry articles while I eat lunch. Alternate use of my standing desk and sitting down. I will check news headlines during the day, rather than letting that dominate my morning or evening rituals. I designate parts of my schedule to be for deep work, and parts for administrative work which takes less original thinking (which I prefer to do in the early afternoon). I haven’t been able to make the Pomodoro method work consistently well, but the concept of rhythm changes and breaks is essential, so I don’t burn out.
At the end of my “job day” I run through my “I’m leaving work now” ritual. This helps me create the right mental framework, especially when working from home.
Then it’s time for the second walk with Watson. I usually use this walking time for reflection and intercession for others. My beloved and I catch up over dinner. A few nights a week we do a CrossFit workout together with our coach over Zoom.
I wind down by responding to emails and more book reading. I’m usually in bed about 8pm. I have a “thankful” ritual and ask God to teach me what I need to better glorify him. The only benefit of serious apnea is that I can fall asleep in seconds nearly every night.
Last year I decided that I’d read enough contemporary books and no longer need to read “everything” to “be informed.” I have a 10-year project to reread the Great Books of the Western World (I went through them all when I was 18-19 years old; weird, I know) and about 40 other classic books which have been valuable for long periods of time. These give me perspective and many new ideas. I’m usually reading 2 or 3 books at once, dipping in as I have breaks. I have learned to read with great concentration and speed. I find that I need to feed myself good input in order to be a productive writer.
Finally, a bit about my writing… I’m usually working on multiple short blog posts and sections of my weekly newsletter every day, and on my book writing projects probably 3 days out of 7. Writing is rewriting; I edit almost everything before sharing. I correspond with multiple people, both deep friends and people who contact me with questions. Most of the time I’m pushing myself to generate at least 500 publishable or shareable words a day. Probably 10-30% of my writing work is really for me as I try to sort through ideas and issues.
What’s different on weekends: More time for writing projects and reading, a delightful rhythm change for house cleaning and around the house chores, times for naps and conversations, more dedicated time for journaling, and regular times talking with family members and friends.
My biggest vulnerabilities: I love movies and good TV series and can easily get sucked into them rather than doing the better things. I am not nearly well-disciplined enough about eating.
I realize this schedule is not for everyone, and in many ways is quite selfish. I expect the days will change somewhat when I’m no longer working at a “job,” but I do expect to continue my practices for extensive input and productive writing.
