The End Is In Sight — Thoughts About Finding Balance and Making It Through My Final Semester

The semester has begun! And now, in the midst of readings and assignments, projects, deadlines, essays, my manuscript, and working full-time, I am feeling a little overwhelmed.

The beginning of every semester can always feel a little bit chaotic since you haven't yet fallen into the rhythm of schoolwork or know how to balance the assignments based on how long they'll take you or when they are do. But for me, this semester seems harder than others. It's the final push toward graduation and while I've done this whole school for a while, I still feel worried. I know, I know, I've made it through the craziness before some of you might say. But still. The truth is simply that I am tired. The accumulation of all the past two years is starting to be felt.  And as I look out over the next four months, a part of me worries that it will be more of a struggle than past semesters. 

Thinking about this, and particularly as I've noticed this past week of writing felt extra taxing, I've thought about this upcoming semester and what I can do to help my writing. One thing I definitely don't want to let slip is my writing itself. That's why I'm in school, right? And beyond school, I also know that these feelings of being pulled in many directions and of fatigue are not going to be limited to the time that I am in school, but extend to life in general. There is no doubt other seasons will present the same problems. So, I think it is particularly important for me, and all of us writers, to find a way to really carve out the time and space, and create a protection of sorts — to ensure that we stay both committed and productive.

So, as I've already begun to feel the pull towards sleep some nights and the stress of other projects that need to be completed, I thought of afew things I am going to have to do over the next few months to keep my writing strong, and myself sane.

1. Sometimes saying no to things and accepting that everything I do might not always be done to the utmost of my abilities. I don't know if you're like me, but when I commit to something, I tend to throw myself in entirely. I want to do everything to the very best of my ability; to make it as good as it can be. But...this is just not always feasible. Especially when we want to commit to such a time consuming project as writing a novel.

2. Scheduling my writing time in advance will be something I think will benefit me novel on the whole. I am someone who likes to know the schedule in advance so I can plan and figure out how to get all the things I need to do done within the time frame. So planning out my week in terms of upcoming schoolwork and writing will be helpful. Even just seeing it on paper benefits me I think.

3. Sleeping when I need to. A tired writer is not necessarily a good writer. Sometimes I make it work for sure, but when I am really, really tired, I think it's best to let myself get caught up and feel refreshed. Besides, when I'm really awake I can probably write the same number of pages in half the time.

4. Make sure I do other things besides just work. This will help prevent burn-out. And give my mind a rest.

5. Know it's not always going to be perfect, and I don't always have to get it done now. This one I struggle with for sure — particularly the second part. I am kind of a work-hard, why wait, just get it done type of person. But this can produce undue stress, though it can also lead to always getting things done early :)

6. Always keep my ideas flowing in the back of my mind. This might sound confusing, but even though I might not be sitting at the computer and actively writing doesn't mean I can't be thinking about my story at other times. Some of the best creativity comes at random moments. So keep your mind open at all times. 

In quantity or in quality, I want to make sure that my writing stays on the top of my priority list, so hopefully these things will help me get through the semester — in tact and with some good work to show for it. This is not to say, however, that I don't sometimes have to adapt or sacrifice a little bit of my writing time, or that I don't still need to work as hard as I can while I have these opportunities. But overall, it's about finding a balance: a balance that leads to good writing output and feeling good in your overall life.

I'll be sure to keep you posted as the semester unfolds! Please send your good thoughts my way, as I can use all the encouragement I can get. And of course, I'll be sending them right back at you! Good luck writing friends!